My Vampire Apocalypse
by Deadronika
Summary: Sequel to My Vampire Romance. Even now she has her prince, Bella still has issues to work through. So how will she fare when she finds out shocking news about who she is? Is love possible even when you feel at your lowest? Rated M for violence & swearing.
1. Love

**Woohoo! The day after I finished 'My Vampire Romance' I'm here posting the first chapter of the sequel! Am I superwoman or what??**

**So yeah, I know y'all were kinda happy with the ending, and how my last story went (judging by the positivity of the reviews) so I want to thank y'all for that. I hope this plotline is good – I won't be making it up as I go along like did with Romance!**

**So here you are – for those who read my vampire romance since I first started writing it, welcome back. And to those who have just found it – hi!**

**Here's my first chapter of 'My Vampire Apocalypse'!**

**Happy reading, and don't forget to review!**

**Soundtrack: Everywhere - Michelle Branch**

**Charlie**

* * *

"So I just totally went flat out and slammed Jasper to the floor before he could even _think _about fighting back! Aww man you should've been there, you would've died laughing!" Emmett – My brother and complete moron said from the seat behind me.

"Yeah, except you forgot the part where he got up and punched you in the face and your nose broke." Rose pointed out.

"It healed, didn't it, baby?"

"Not the point, Emmett!"

"Huh, well it sounds like I missed a good day, anyway. I'm disappointed that I decided to go out and have fun with Bella instead of going hunting with you, man." Edward said sarcastically, his concentration on the road lapsing as he turned to my brother. He gave me a quick wink as he did so, and I couldn't quite disguise my laughter.

"Something funny, Bells?"

"Nope, nothing at all." I turned back to the window that I had been staring out of for the first hour of this tediously long car ride, pretending to be sulky. It was my car, my huge range rover that I'd retrieved from storage, but they hadn't let me drive, just because I was _human _and therefore more likely to cause injury to myself, or just plain die_. _But whatever, I didn't want to get into it – my humanity (or what there was left of it) was still a touchy subject. Especially seeing as though I hadn't spoken to Carlisle yet.

There was me and Edward in the front, and Emmett and Rose in the back, with Emmett having talked non-stop ever since we had left the house around an hour ago. The others were in Jasper's jeep, and thanks to Edward's driving, they were some miles behind us now. We were all heading to some place up near Alaska – I didn't exactly know where – to get away for a while whilst the sun was dominant in Washington (surprisingly). Some cousins that had been at Em and Rose's wedding had offered to let us stay at their place, but I wasn't looking forward to it. I had the worst feeling about the blonde bitch that had been showing off at the wedding...

"Bella?" Edward asked quietly, whilst Rosalie was whining about something or someone. "Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet all the way up here."

"It's nothing." I sighed. "Just...wondering how it'll be with your uhmm, cousins, are they?"

"Kind of," he smiled. "They're Carlisle and Esme's old friends, but we consider them our cousins, simply because of how close they are to us. Beside our own, I don't think there's another coven as large as theirs. Well, except the Volturi, of course." I shuddered. The Volturi. My mind flashed back to when Edward and I had first gotten together, and he had told me about them.

'_Like I said, I think you should go back to sleep.'_

'_I can't, I'm wide awake now thanks to that fucking dream.' I said scornfully, glaring at the pillow for some insane reason. It made him laugh though. _

'_Alright, if you can't – or should I say wont – go back to sleep, what do you want to do?' he asked. _

'_I want to know more about vampires, I still don't know what it's like.' _

'_You really want to hear about this?' he asked incredulously._

'_Yepp.'_

'_Okay. Well, I'll tell you about Volterra, how about that?'_

'_That sounds good.' I grinned, glad to be getting some straight answers 'strange kind of bedtime stories huh?' I laughed. _

'_Tell me about it. Anyway, you know that we lived in Volterra for a few years? But Carlisle had been there before, he was a good friend of-'_

'_Marcus, who supposedly got rid of all the vampires living in the area. This was in 1750; there were 2 other men as well.' I said proudly. He just stared at me in shock. 'I saw an oil painting of Carlisle and his friends, that's what got me started on the whole vampire theory.'_

'_Right...'he said disapprovingly 'anyway, the two other men were called Aro and Caius, great friends of Carlisle Cullen, but very dangerous if you got on their bad side. A little bit like you I guess.' He chuckled. 'But they didn't agree with Carlisle's method of only drinking animal blood, so eventually he left them.'_

'_Where did he go?'_

"Bella?" Edward's concerned voice brought me back to the present. I didn't know much about the Volturi, but I didn't really want to. I had no plans to meet them – and from what I knew of them, they were the sort of people you avoided...or you ended up psychotic and out for revenge like that fucktard Aiden had been. Fucking Aiden..."You really are out of it today." He mused. "You _can't _be nervous about going to stay with the Denali's!"

"And why not?" I asked; defensive.

He scoffed and turned back to the road, still with a killer grin on his face. "Because it isn't you! Certainly not the stubborn, fierce, ninja Bella that I know! Anyway, you don't have anything to worry about, because I'll be there all the time, and they will be very hospitable towards you, I promise."

"They won't try and eat me?" I asked only half-jokingly.

"They won't try and eat you." He laughed, winding an arm around my waist and kissing the top of my hair.

I turned back to the window, watching the landscape pass by as we got closer and closer to the lodge where they lived. All I could think was that these next few weeks were going to be slow...

*

"Carlisle, Esme! Oh how lovely to see you!" the blonde one said, rushing forward to grasp Esme in a sisterly hug. Her welcome was over the top to say the least, as if she had been stranded in the desert for years or something. Well, she was in Alaska, so maybe...

I had to admit, the Denali lodge was pretty impressive. It was made of solid wood and stone, with a huge glass window like the Cullen's at the back, looking out onto a swimming pool and the towering Alaskan mountains. There was a forest at the front of the house, deep and dark like out of a storybook, and the road up to the lodge was well concealed by trees and general wilderness. If I hadn't been driven here, or I'd been alone, I would've had a very hard time finding the place.

We'd been in the house approximately two minutes, and already I was beginning to like the Denali's – bar one. Kate was a sweetheart, having hugged me like an old friend, and saying that I was very welcome here (did I mention that she had a certain Caleb Jones on her arm, who also welcomed me like the best friend I considered him to be?). Irina was stubborn, but I knew we'd get along. She had a certain...charm – or maybe she was just like me too much. Eleazar was nice enough, and Carmen was cool, speaking to me in Spanish. The only person I had a problem with was Tanya – because of what she was doing right at that moment.

"Edward!" she called, sashaying across the hall in a totally unsexy way and flinging her arms around him, as though I wasn't **actually stood right there with my hand in his**. "It's been so long! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"You saw him two months ago at my brother's wedding." I pointed out. I heard Emmett and Jasper snort appreciatively behind me, and saw Edward wink at me with a grin whilst she stared at me, one eyebrow raised.

"You must be Bella." She said with a _totally _fake smile on your face. "I'm Tanya Denali." She held out her left hand, which was the hand I _really _wanted her to use. I stuck out my left hand too, making sure that my ring was on clear show. "Oh, congratulations." She said softly, smiling at me in a way that a lion might look at a zebra before it pounced.

"What are you congratulating them for, Tan?" Kate called, momentarily distracted from where she was talking with Alice Jasper and Caleb.

"Bella and Edward are engaged." She said haughtily, turning to stalk out of the room. I looked up at Edward, who was shaking his head slightly at Tanya's retreating behind.

"Congratulations, girl! And Edward, way to go man! You treat my girl right, you hear!" Caleb laughed to relieve the tension. He, Kate, Irina, Eleazar and Carmen came over to see the ring, and gush over the wedding plans.

"Have you decided on a date?" Carmen asked. So far, she seemed like the nicest one. "A summer wedding would be very nice, but of course it would have to be late at night...oh! How about a winter wedding? That would be beautiful!"

"How about a dress? You don't want white, of course." Irina said dismissively. "White is boring! You'd look nice in red – you looked stunning at Rosalie's wedding! Or maybe black..."

"No, we haven't decided anything yet. We haven't actually been engaged that long."

"But of course she'll have help from her future sister-in-law." Alice called, grinning at me. I couldn't help but groan.

"And her new sister better help too." I said to Rose. "I'm not the greatest bride – you can arrange everything."

"Anything you need for the wedding, Bella, come to us." Kate said, putting her arms around her sisters (Tanya having not returned from her tantrum) "We'll do anything. After all, we are family."

"Anyway!" Tanya stalked back into the room, drawing attention to herself instantly as she did so. "The Cullen's should probably unpack, and relax right? After all, it has been a long car ride. Oh, and you as well, Bella." She added sweetly, quite obviously drawing on the fact that I wasn't a Cullen.

For once, I kept my cool instead of striding across the room and ripping her goddamn head off like I wanted to. "Rosalie and Emmett aren't Cullen's either, Tanya." I pointed out.

Before she could answer back, Carlisle cut in. "Thank you, Tanya, we'll go and unpack. We'll probably go out hunting for a little while as well, if you don't mind."

I shot up off the sofa as fast as I could, ignoring the glare from Tanya and the sympathetic looks I was getting from the others. Caleb and Edward both glared at Tanya.

I didn't know where I was going, but I headed out in the hallway where the stairs were, plonking myself down on them and sighing loudly. I hadn't really wanted to come to Alaska, but I'd done it for Edward, to be with him during the summer. He couldn't really stay in Forks exiling himself because the sun was out – none of them could. But it wasn't exactly great that as soon as I had got here I'd started rebelling against his cousin, was it?

"I'm sorry, Bella." Edward said, suddenly at the foot of the stairs beside me. He held out a hand and helped me to my feet, leading me up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. "We can talk in here; the others have gone out hunting."

I sat down on the four-poster bed, glaring at the smooth wooden floors. What had I done to make Tanya so mad?

"Tanya doesn't like me, huh?" I sighed.

He laughed nervously, going over to the window. "It's not your fault...it's kind of mine."

"Why?" He looked really embarrassed now, running his hands through his hair and not looking me in the face. "Edward? What makes you think it's your fault?"

"She used to have a crush on me." he mumbled.

"What!" I half-laughed, half-yelled. "That stupid bitch used to have crush on you, that's why she's hating on me? And here I thought I'd insulted her or something!"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." He came and sat beside me, taking my left hand in his and playing with my engagement ring. "I'll talk to her, I promise. And I'm sorry she was such a bitch to you. It won't happen again, I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks." I sighed, leaning into him. "It's not really great if your fiancées family doesn't like you!"

"Oh I don't know about that. The others really like you."

"Edward Cullen, you really shouldn't be eavesdropping on other peoples thoughts." I teased.

"Hey, they were really loud!" he defended. "But whatever, they still really like you, end of. And Tanya will come around, I know she will."

"Alright. If Tanya comes around, that will give you more time to work on Charlie!" he groaned.

Charlie had not been best pleased when we announced to him after the party that we were engaged. We had saved the announcement until later, when all the guests had gone, so that the spotlight would still be on Emmett and Rosalie. Esme and Carlisle had been delighted, of course; Alice had squealed (not that she hadn't already known) and told me that she would help with the preparations. Jasper had shown emotion, shock horror! He told me that he would be very happy to have me as a sister, imagine! Emmett and Rosalie were thrilled, though Emmett did try and be the big brother, warning Edward that he'd better not hurt me. However Emmett had already known about the engagement, having gotten permission from him to propose. It was then that I realised that Emmett didn't quite dislike the fact that Edward and I were together as much as I'd thought... But Charlie...Charlie had been furious. Simple as. He'd ranted on for about 15 minutes about how we were too young to be getting married, and that we'd just end up regretting it and end up divorced.

Somehow, reminding him that Edward was older than he was didn't really help the situation.

"The joys." He groaned. "The joys of trying to convince your father that I'm not about to have my wicked way with you."

"The joys of trying to convince Tanya that I _am _having my wicked ways with you!" I laughed.

"Point." He laughed.

"Look, can we just forget about her? I don't care if she used to have a crush on you. Hell, I don't care if she still does have a crush on you, as long as she knows her boundaries and doesn't flirt with you in front of me."

"Or you'll kick her head in?"

"Or I'll kick her head in." I laughed.

*

"That's Jupiter, right there."

"The circley one that has dots around it?"

"Yes, Edward, that circley one with the dots around it." I laughed.

When Tanya and the others had gotten back from hunting, things had immediately become tense. She just couldn't understand that Edward was mine now, and that if she had really wanted him, she should've tried a little harder back when she had the chance. All she'd done was flirt with him, and reminisce about all the times that Edward and the rest of the Cullen's had come up to Alaska, or they'd gone down to Forks. So I'd just pulled Edward out into the forest, and he'd been quick to show me a good clearing where we could see the stars, very, _very _far away from the lodge. But as I'd learned, he wasn't that great at spotting them.

"And you see that one, the really bright one that sticks out from all the rest? That one's Sirius." I pointed.

"Like you." He suddenly said.

"...Like me?"

"Yeah. Brightest star, and sticks out from all the rest. That describes you perfectly, don't you think?"

"You are so corny!" I teased.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Ha!"

"...Shut up."

I poked his side and leant on his perfectly muscled chest, just looking up at the sky in wonder. New York hadn't been the best for star watching, what with all the light pollution, so moving to Forks really had been a shock. The sheer amount of stars in the sky was unbelievable, and I'd been quick to remember all my mom had taught me about the names of the stars, and where they were located in the sky. It was like a homecoming, and when I watched them...I really felt that I was with her.

"Things are really normal, aren't they?" he breathed. "We can be a couple without having to worry about pathetic people, or shit trying to break us up, can't we?" he asked hopefully, kissing the top of my head.

I sat up to look at him properly, leaning on one of the trees behind me. "I still have issues to work on – you know that. And my job; and I still haven't spoken to Carlisle; and my father wants to murder you... But apart from that, we're good!"

"Oh yeah, why are you avoiding Carlisle? He's noticed, you know." He pointed out. I knew Carlisle had noticed – he looked really sad every time I avoided his gaze, or made up some excuse not to talk to him.

"He wants to talk about the thing with Aiden." I lied. I _knew _I should have told Edward the truth, but there was a 99% chance that Aiden was lying, so why bother Edward with the information that bothered me? "And I'm not ready. He made me realize how weak I actually am – I don't want to relive that by telling Carlisle how pathetic I feel." I shrugged.

"Oh _Bella." _He pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his strong arms around me and cradling my face in his palms. "You are not weak, and you never will be. You are going to be some vampire." He added as an afterthought. He looked away, though, as though it hurt him to talk about.

Which it did.

"Hey." I whispered, pulling his face back gently to meet mine. His eyes were so endlessly sad, something that shouldn't be. "This is my choice, and I'm doing it because I love you."

"You'll be in so much pain...and then you'll have to become a hunter for the rest of your life." He whispered, brushing my hair back from my face. "That's what you want?"

"You know it." I said confidently. He grinned, but the sadness was still in his eyes.

I pulled him to me, kissing him softly before he could say anything more about my transformation. His lips were urgent against mine, as they usually were – he didn't hold back at all. His body was pressed as close to mine as possible, and his hands were in my hair as mine were at the nape of his neck, stroking his. Kissing Edward had always been something I loved, because it was just _proof _of how much I loved him.

"I love you, forever." He whispered when his lips were free.

"Sooner than you think." Was all I replied, leaning in to kiss him again.

So what that I had problems? Who cares that I was apparently as human as Edward and the vampires were? And who cares that in two weeks I would turn 17, and be officially the same age as Edward?

Not me.

Because I had all I wanted, and that consisted of Edward, my family, and a happy future. Even now, just kissing in the starlight, I knew things were going to get better. Because they were, weren't they?

* * *

**What did we think? Hot or not? Review!**

**Let me know – I'm aiming for more reviews than what Romance got!**

**Charlie**


	2. Questions and Answers

**Hey, sorry about the wait, but you know, *whispers* writers block!**

**Special shout out to ****Elmo-.'BiteMe'.-Cullen who really does write brill reviews! Thanks!**

**So yeah, here's the second chapter – hope you like, and don't forget to review (:**

**Soundtrack: In The End - Linkin Park**

* * *

"Oh, Edward, do you remember when we were chased by those rogue vampires? That was so scary!"

_Do not slap the crap out of her. _

"Oh, but it was alright, because Edward was there with me." Tanya said to the others. She gripped Edward's other arm, the one that wasn't around my waist, and squeezed it tightly. Her eyes were all molten and gooey, and she was staring at Edward like a predator that's spotted dessert.

_Do not slap the crap out of her._

"You know, we were so _close _to getting together, but it was a mutual decision that we wouldn't. I mean, it would be a little weird, because we're like family, right? Oh well, we didn't care – at least I didn't! In fact, I'd still have him..." she teased, not joking in the slightest.

_And...that's my limit._

We'd been there only three days, and already I'd reached the end of my patience. Edward and I spent the whole day out of the house in order to avoid her, yet whenever we get back in, she starts trying to wind me up! She'd ordered a sit down, so all the family (she'd made it pretty clear that that didn't involve me) could talk, and reminisce.

That bitch was going _down._

"Tanya! Shut. The. Fuck. _Up!_" I yelled, jumping up from the sofa at the same time that she did and staring her down. She was at least 4 inches taller than me, and much, much stronger, but I didn't care. That ho was not going to talk to me like shit any longer.

"I'm sorry, is there a problem?" she sneered, staring right back. Everyone else was stood up now, too, ready to stop her if she got angry.

No-one would even think to stop me.

"Yes there is, actually. I want you to stop flirting with my boyfriend – scratch that – my _fiancée, _and find your own damn man. You're absolutely pathetic; I'm surprised no-one has told you that yet. Oh, and one other thing – your nose is kind of bent."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she laughed, turning to the rest of the room for emphasis. They were all looking at me like I was crazy – except Caleb and Emmett. They both knew exactly what I was going to do.

"This." I said simply. I swung my right hand back, and then launched it into her smug little face, feeling as well as hearing the bones in her nose snap cleanly and feel the blood start welling under my hand.

She screeched and pulled away from me, staring in disbelief as I did. It had never occurred to me how I had been able to punch a vampire in the face if they were meant to be indestructible. But I didn't dwell on it. I just hightailed it out of the front room to the cheers I was getting from the boys – Jasper and Carlisle included – before I did something else that I would regret – not that I would regret punching her in the face one little bit. She deserved it.

I could hear Tanya's shouts even when I was out of the house and out into the woods at the front of the house. I couldn't help but laugh. She was pathetic, and that punch wasn't even half of what I felt like doing to her. I mean come on, who says shit like that?

There was no one coming after me, which I was kinda...weirded out about. Did that mean that they would rather comfort Tanya than come and find me? I didn't know – I didn't want to find out.

So instead of heading back to the house and finding that everyone was pissed with me about punching their "charming" hostess in the face, I walked briskly into the woods, deciding that a bit of exercise would be best. Cathy would just do her nut if I didn't do at least a little bit of training whilst I was on leave; she had already gone beserk when I told her I was going away for the Summer, and that only if I was needed, I mean _really _needed, would she be able to call me back in.

I thought it was about time I got away for a while.

The leaves crunched underneath my sneakers as I made my way further in, not caring that it was getting darker and darker. This forest wasn't like the ones back home, as strange as it sounds. For one it wasn't raining here, and the leaves underneath me were soft instead of soggy and splattered with mud. The trees were the same, but this forest wasn't as mystical and magickal as they were back home – though I supposed Forks did have a few more mythical creatures than this part of Alaska did.

I couldn't have been walking for more than ten minutes when I came across the tracks.

At first I ignored them, seeing them to be just normal black bear prints – though I was keeping my eyes out for any signs of black bears, I really didn't need to get in a fight with any more animals after the last time – when suddenly I stopped dead, seeing something I really didn't want to see.

The prints suddenly became human.

One moment I was walking by bear prints, and the next second I stopped, seeing a human footprint where the next paw mark should've been. I tried to brush it off as someone maybe attacking the bear? But there was no way. The prints were that of a shapeshifter, the one subject that I had been trying to ignore completely for the last few weeks.

I backed away completely until my back hit a tree, my eyes not straying from the changing prints. It was as though they were painted red – my eyes just wouldn't look away, even though that's all I wanted to do.

And then as soon as I had found them, I was running.

I seriously ran as fast as I fucking could, just wanting to get the hell away from those damn prints that were so clear. It was like they were mocking me, telling me things I already knew: I had things to talk about, and nothing, not even nature, was going to let me get away with it.

I broke through the trees in about two minutes, not even breathing heavily. The house was just as I left it, but I didn't quite know how it could. It was as though now something bad had happened to me, how could the world still be the same?

I burst through the front door, skidding past Carmen and Eleazar who were peering anxiously through the front door, probably waiting for me to get back unless Tanya had done another disappearing act. They looked at me quizzically, and scanned the front porch in case there was anyone chasing me, but I didn't stop. I just wanted to find Carlisle, and hope that he was either alone, or at the very least Tanya wasn't with him.

But apparently that was just too much to fucking ask for.

She was stood there in the middle of the room totally living it up as everyone paid attention to her. Carlisle had her face in his palm, inspecting the damage my fist had done (yes I was very smug at this point); Esme was talking to her earnestly; Alice and Rosalie were nowhere to be seen; but what did make me laugh were Edward, Emmett, Jasper and Caleb stood in a corner snickering.

But everyone stopped immediately when I came crashing into the room.

"Bella, what is it?" Edward asked seriously, eyeing my white face and defensive stance carefully. He strode across the room and put his hands on my shoulders, staring into my face earnestly. "Did something happen whilst you were outside?"

"I saw something that reminded me – of everything." I murmured. He instantly understood, and pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around my back tightly and kissing the top of my head. "Carlisle?" I asked over Edward's shoulder (which I could only just see over the top of).

"Yes, Bella?" he asked, surprised, but happy that I was actually talking to him again.

"We need to talk." I said simply.

I felt Edward stiffen around me, but I pulled back, stroking his face gently. "I'll be fine, honestly."

"Call me if you need me." he said in a low voice, looking hard at Carlisle before turning back to me. "I mean it."

I nodded before leaving the room with Carlisle close behind me. I went back out of the front door, passing a curious Irina and Kate, but ignoring them. I headed straight for the woods, not looking back at Carlisle once.

I simply pointed at the prints when we reached them, not saying a word or even looking up. He leant down to examine them, whilst I just leant against a tree opposite, watching the darkening sky with sadness. My happiness had lasted two months – two months, that's it. Was that all I was entitled to? Two months without having any major problems?

"Shapeshifter?" I already knew the answer, it didn't take a genius.

"Looks like it." he sighed. "I think there are quite a few around here – Eleazar was telling me about them the last time we came up. They aren't a threat though, if that's why you're worried."

"No, that's not why I wanted to talk to you." I sighed, slumping down to the floor. "Firstly, I want to apologize for not speaking to you since what happened with Aiden and the werewolves. You wanted to talk, but I didn't want to."

"Why?" he asked, confused. He came and sat by me on the ground, the prints forgotten.

"Because the wolves made me realize how...weak I actually I am. They made me realize that I'm only human, and that someday, something is going to kill me. I guess I just didn't really want to be reminded of that fact."

"I'm so sorry." He said, horrified. "I had no idea that was how you felt! Honestly, if I had known I would have never-"

"It doesn't matter." I sighed. "We need to talk sometime. What did you want to tell me?"

Carlisle took a deep breath before he spoke again, which I took to mean he was about to say something important. "He told me that you aren't...completely human. He said that in your blood is the blood of shapeshifters."

"Wouldn't that mean I had to inherit it?" my heartbeat go faster and faster.

"Yes. There has always something...extraordinary about you, but I've never detected anything like that from Charlie, so I'm thinking that..."

"I got it from my mother." I said simply. "Yet, I think I'd know if she was a shapeshifter." I laughed. "Aiden told me that she was a shapeshifter, but I can't believe that, I just _can't._"

"Like you knew she was a spy?" that wiped the smile of my face. "Sorry, that was harsh."

"No, you're right. If I didn't know she was a spy, then she could've been a-. Shit, what am I going to _do?" _I shouted, leaping up from the floor and pacing. "I mean, I can't be a shapeshifter, just can't be!"

"Look, just hold on a moment." He said softly, stopping me by the shoulders. "Let's just calm down and _talk _about this."

I breathed out, not even realizing I had been holding my breath. Carlisle was right, but I couldn't get to grips with it. It seemed like all I had been doing lately was finding out secrets that my mother had been keeping from me.

"What's there to talk about?" I scoffed. "There's nothing more to say! My mother was a lying bitch; the people who were meant to take care of me were threatened with blackmail; my boyfriend has no idea what I am; and the rest of my family are going to be pretty pissed that I kept yet another secret from them. But no, there's absolutely nothing wrong, and we should just _talk._" Alright, I was going pretty overboard with the sarcasm, but I didn't care! As soon as I had thought that my life was back on track, everything comes back to bite me on the ass.

Don't I ever get a break?

"Bella, calm down!" he said sharply. "We can work through this, I'll help you, you know that."

"Edward's going to be pissed." I moaned.

"I know, I know." He crooned. He pulled me into his arms for a fatherly hug, and I felt a little better instantly. Maybe just knowing there was someone right there who cared about what happened to me helped. "They'll understand why you kept this a secret – they're your family, and nothing you can say or do is going to change that, understand?"

"Yeah." I sighed, pulling away. "Thanks, Carlisle." I went and knelt by the prints, looking in awe at them. It was just so surreal... "How is Emmett going to take this?"

"He'll handle it." he smiled, sitting by me. "He's your brother, and he loves you more than you will ever know...I should know, after watching him when we thought you were..."

I looked at him sharply. His face was lined with grief and horror at the suppressed memory. "Tell me, please. What was he...like?"

He inhaled deeply before speaking. "He was...a mess, simply put. When we found the place they were holding you – the final place – he went mental. The boys ran up to the room where you were being held whilst the girls and I stood outside in case anyone escaped. Jasper and Emmett came down with those wolves that had been torturing you, and honestly Bella, I have never seen Emmett as angry as he was then. And all he had to do was tell Rose and they were both ripping into them, Jasper and Alice included." He shuddered at the memory. "They had just finished when we heard Alice scream. Jasper ran over to her, but she was sobbing too much for him to get any words of explanation out of her. And then Caleb and Edward came down with you..." he turned away from me and exhaled shakily, like he should've been sobbing. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he continued.

"Edward was in denial, and he wouldn't take his eyes off you in case you woke up; Caleb was just...dead, he never spoke a word. But when Emmett saw you...it was absolutely awful, Bella. He fell to his knees and looked more vulnerable than I have ever seen anyone like us look. He probably would've stayed there for eternity if Aiden hadn't chosen that moment to show his smug little face, right beside me so that he could whisper to me what you were." His face grew darker. "There was such a change in Emmett. He just leapt up, and he and Rose finished him off – and I let them, believing his words to be nonsense, and just a blaspheme of a dead girl. But when you woke up later... I thought that his words must have some truth – how else could you have survived?"

I just shrugged and stood, looking back towards the house, even though I couldn't see it. There was still something I had to do.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I think it's about time I came clean."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you're part shapeshifter?"

"Yes."

"And so was mom?"

"Yes."

"And somehow, Aiden knew?"

"Yes."

"...And now you've found prints indicating that there are other shapeshifters in this area, and you want to talk to them? Correct me if I'm missing anything here."

"No, that's about it. Isn't it enough?" I asked sarcastically. "I'm just so _sick _of everything! Can't I ever get a break?" I fumed, pacing the living room.

It hadn't been as hard as I thought to break the news to everyone, what with Carlisle doing his father role and standing supportingly by my side whilst I explained. They'd...understood for the most part. Esme had been shocked, but she had been quick to be the perfect mother and stick by me; Alice and Jasper, ditto; Rose didn't know what to say, and Emmett was confused. I'd seen Edward's eyes go hard when he'd found out, but I hadn't had a chance to speak with him yet; and the Denali's and Caleb had been totally cool with it.

So I wasn't _completely _screwed.

"Are you going to see the shapeshifters that are around here?" Kate asked in her serene way. If she got any more laid back I swear she'd fall over.

"I don't know." I sighed. "I haven't thought this through completely. Technically, I don't have to do anything, but I suppose it would help to talk to somebody..."

"Of course it will, sweetheart." Esme said quickly. But the way she said it made me feel as though she wasn't being honest. Carlisle seemed to notice too, and gave her a strange look, but she ignored it. "Now, don't you think you should be getting to bed, Bella?"

"Uhhhm, sure." I said uneasily. "Goodnight." I began walking out the room, making my footsteps extra light so they wouldn't know when I stopped.

The hallway leading to the stairs was around another corner and out of a door, so I was able to listen and watch them. Something wasn't right, and I needed to know what.

"Well, that was unexpected." Alice said slowly.

"How are we supposed to help her?" Edward groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I just don't know what to say to her! The poor girl has too much of the supernatural in her life – it isn't fair on her."

"What I want to know is why she kept this a secret." Emmett scowled.

"Em, come on, you've _both _kept secrets." Rose chided gently. This conversation was just making me feel sicker and sicker.

"I know, but something like this." Esme shook her head, I could see her well from where I was stood. She looked, for want of a better word, horrified.

"She keeps a lot of secrets." Jasper whispered. I was surprised they couldn't hear my heartbeat.

"Can we trust her?" Irina asked softly, not wanting an answer. There was a long time in which nobody spoke, before Edward and Alice spoke three words that made me feel worse than I had ever felt in my entire life, and threw all my self-belief out of the window.

"We don't know." They both whispered at the same time.

At that moment I didn't care if they found out I was listening. I just sprinted up the stairs, trying not to sob as I heard them all run out of the living room, obviously having not realized I was there. I just slammed the bedroom door and threw myself on the bed, crying softly onto the pillow.

I couldn't remember the last time I cried.

After a while, I heard the softest of footprints which stopped outside the door, and a low voice which whispered: "I'm sorry, Bella." Edward. I never answered, and sometime in the night, I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**Damn, only the second chapter and things are going wrong! **

**Let me know what you think, because I really do want this story to get more reviews than My Vampire Romance! Come on, lets try for more than 100, okay? (:**

**Charlie**


	3. Caleb

**Hi!**

**Yeah that's it XP**

**Soundtrack: Never Say Never - The Fray**

* * *

The next morning I walked past the kitchen and living room without even a glance in them. I didn't want to see the looks that they gave me, or what expressions they had on their faces because I'd just jump to the wrong conclusions if I did. Don't I always? Whatever, I still didn't want to speak to anybody until I was sure I could do it without screaming and/or attacking somebody. So yeah, I'd be silent for a _while. _But who cares, right? Maybe I'm not trusted enough to be in their presence, anyway.

I heard people stand up as I strode past the living room, but I was true to my word, and never even glanced in to see who was there. I simply went on my way as though the house was empty. Well, at least Tanya would be happy at my newfound alienation from the rest of the family. I was just a little rueful that I didn't get to see my handiwork on her nose – that would've brightened my day up considerably.

I headed straight out of the house, skipping breakfast and heading for the path that lead out of the mile long driveway. I didn't plan on going back to that house for a long time – if I ever did. It would only be too simple to steal a car and head back home, where there was more than likely some problem that required my immediate attention. There always is.

But of course my plan didn't go as I wanted. As soon as I was about to turn onto the drive, where wouldn't be seen anymore and would be free to go wherever the hell I wanted without being judged, I heard someone jogging up behind me.

"Hey, Bella, wait up!" Caleb was suddenly at my elbow, a huge grin on his face and his floppy hair in his eyes. Stupid adorable boy, I didn't need this. I hadn't actually spoken to him properly since we got here, and his smile was always the best solution when I'd had a shitty day – now was no exception. "Where you headed?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure yet." I admitted, keeping pace. "Maybe home would be the best place to go, if I'm honest." I sighed.

"Home!" he sounded horrified, but made no motion to stop me or head on back to the house now he knew where I was going. "Why are you going home? You just got here! We haven't even had a chance to talk yet! I would call that serious abandonment of a best friend's duty, you know."

"You know why I have to go, Cal." I said darkly. "Apparently I'm not trusted by my own family. And that just plain sucks! I mean, after all I trusted them! I trusted Edward not to kill me for fucks sake! But when I keep a few secrets, oh no, suddenly I'm untrustworthy. This just blows!"

"I know. I know." He said simply.

He still didn't leave me and head back up to the house like I stupidly thought he might. Instead, he steered me in the opposite direction, further towards the open plain than the town. The look in his eyes was one I knew well – it meant that he was looking forward to whatever was ahead – usually ending in someone getting killed.

"Shouldn't you be getting back? Isn't Kate waiting for you?" I asked, not wanting him to get in trouble or anything.

"Nah, she knows that I'm heading out with you for the day, seeing as though _someone _hasn't bothered speaking to me all the time she's been here!"

"Hey!" I said defensively. "I've had a lot to think about!"

"Don't worry, _I _understand, but the others..."

"What did they say after I'd gone last night?" I asked quickly. Caleb would tell me anything, even if it meant breaking a promise to someone else. Apart from Kate and Edward, we were each other's priority.

Well, maybe not Edward for the moment.

"I don't know." He said awkwardly, turning away. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Oh great." I muttered. "But yes, I should really hear this."

"Fine, but don't say I didn't say I didn't warn you." He warned. "Most of it was all how stupid they'd been for not knowing you were listening, and that they couldn't believe that you'd heard something like that, but Emmett..."

"What did he say?" I asked sharply.

"He said you were being overly dramatic. Edward agreed." He said reluctantly.

My face felt, and must've looked, like it was carved out of stone. I was faced forward whilst we were walking, my eyes staring at the horizon but seeing nothing, my legs on instinctive autopilot, and my lips clamped shut. Caleb knew better than anyone that I was majorly, _majorly _pissed right now.

"Babe, listen to me!" he said quickly. "They were just shocked that they had found that out about you! You know they love you, and they would never-"

"Whatever."

There was a long silence. But I didn't have anything to say that didn't involve a lot of cussing, yelling or general abuse being hurled at my 'family'. I just didn't get what I had done! I'd kept a secret, but how about all the secrets they had kept from me! what they were, the fact that Carlisle had changed Caleb, Charlie getting taken by vampires, all the hidden things about Aiden...And yet I try to keep one thing to myself for their sake, and suddenly I'm untrustworthy! It wasn't fair, and when I next spoke to them, I'd make sure they knew it wasn't fair.

"I shouldn't have said anything." He muttered.

"No. No, Caleb, I needed to know that, thank you."

"Great! So you're pissed with me as well! Well thanks!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air and walking faster.

"What the fuck, Cal!" I called, running after him. "What makes you say that, idiot?"

He came to an abrupt stop, looking at me like you would look at a stranger you recognized. Like he was trying to find the old me in the new me.

"Being so formal to me, like we aren't close or anything! What's up with _that?"_

"Cal..."

"No, don't _Cal_ me!" he yelled. "Ever since you hooked up with that guy, Edward, you've changed! I see it in your eyes, you aren't the girl I fell in love with anymore!" I froze, really hoping this wasn't about to get any more awkward that it already was. "You talk to me like a stranger, you almost get killed by wolves without putting up a fight!"

"Hey, you know that-"

"You cry when people bitch about you, and you actually give a crap what people think! What the hell has happened to you! Where's the old Bella, the fearless Bella, the Bella that would eat a vampire for dessert gone? Because I want her back _Bell's._" He sneered. "Or should I start calling you Bella Cullen? The alter ego of the snarky, sly, cruel, malicious, but _amazing _girl I used to know." He said sarcastically.

So I did what I did to Tanya – I punched him. It was a bloody good one and all, and it must've hurt, but all he did was grin, the light going back into his eyes. "Now that's my girl!" I grinned.

"Whatever you sadistic freak." I rolled my eyes and looped my arm through his. "Come on, let's go sit somewhere and talk."

* * *

"Do you still have the house in Seattle? Or is that long gone?"

"Yeah, we still have it." I grinned. "Gives me somewhere to retreat when things get bad at home, somewhere to stash all those goddamn weapons, and just a place to crash when Cathy's made me work a late shift. You still have a key right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because it's your house too, and your welcome to use it – just let me know so I don't kill you, okay?"

"Agreed. Getting punched by you is bad, but getting killed – that would be a bitch."

I'd forgotten how fun it was to hang out with Caleb, even if it was just talking. He'd taken me to a field near the sea, with a great view that he knew I'd love; we were just laid by the edge now, just relaxing in the grass. Being a vampire he...reacted to the sunlight and his skin was sending rainbows of colour across my skin, but I pretended not to notice. He knew me so well that he could practically tell what I was going to say whilst we were talking. That was why I loved him as much as I did. It was just great having someone there when my boyfriend had hurt me as much as he did. I say boyfriend...

I touched my bare ring-finger, which of course caught his eye.

"Where's your engagement ring?" he asked curiously.

I just shrugged in response. "Come on, Bella." He said softly.

"It's at the back of the house somewhere – I threw it out of the window when I was upset." I whispered. I wouldn't cry anymore – what was the point? Besides, Caleb didn't like it.

"Edward will find it." he promised. I said nothing. "Do you want him to find it?"

"Sure, it was a pretty ring." I shrugged. He wasn't fooled.

"You know what I mean."

I turned on the grass so that I was facing him. He was at least a foot taller than me, so he shuffled down in the grass so that our faces were opposite each other. I couldn't help but notice how close he was, and how beautiful he was now... Sure, he had always been an extremely hot guy, but now he was pure beauty...

"I don't know, to be honest. I mean, how can I marry a man who doesn't trust me? It just doesn't work that way!" I sighed deeply, really needing a subject change. Somehow, it felt like betrayal, talking about Edward with Caleb. "So how are things going with you and Kate?"

His expression changed slightly, and only the fact that I knew him so well let me know the difference. "Oh, you know, things are fine."

"That's it?" I pressed.

He looked very uncomfortable, like he didn't want to talk about Kate for some reason. "Well it's kind of too early to tell you know, nothing's set in stone yet."

"You looked pretty serious to me..."

"I know, but," he faltered, struggling to come up with a valid response. "Look, Kate likes me, and I think she's an amazing woman, but I just don't feel ready to commit to her, at least not yet."

"Well of course!" I laughed. "You've only been going out what, two months? It's not exactly a long time!"

"Well she...kind of fancied me when Carlisle changed me and sent me up here to stay with the Denali's. I _told _her I didn't feel anything, but the other's encouraged me...and now we're kind of dating. But it's not serious!" he rushed.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you alright. You seem kind of...strange today. I get it if you'd rather keep things between you and Kate a secret. I mean, I _am _your ex!"

"Ex." He mumbled.

"Yeah...I'm your ex. Caleb, what's going _on?" _I sat up, watching him as he got up slowly. I had never seen him as uncomfortable since... oh no. _Oh no..._

"The reason I don't want to be with Kate is because...well because I'm still in love with you Bella! I haven't stopped loving you, even after all this time apart. Babe, you will always be the only one for me, and no amount of Edward _fucking _Cullen's is going to change that." He took my face in his palms, stroking my cheeks softly as he came closer. I dimly realized that I was doing nothing to stop him.

"Cal, I can't." I whispered half-heartedly.

"I know you, Bella, and I _know _you still love me. He can't trust you, but I do. I know you better than anyone in the world, and we're so alike baby." He whispered in a voice so gentle it was almost a caress. I was instantly transported back to the days when it was Bella-and-Caleb Caleb-and-Bella. The days full of untidy rooms, partying, bloody missions, killings, fast food, booze sex and the occasional drug, lying in until 3 in the afternoon, stopping out until 4 in the morning, running until we couldn't breathe, laughing until we gasped for air, tender kisses that felt like we would live forever...

But what about Edward, the man I had pledged my life and soul to? He didn't trust me, but he still loved me, enough to try and brave my anger to apologize, the man whose arms I almost died in, the man that changed my soul and made me believe that I really did have a chance.

But then Caleb kissed me, and I forgot my fiancée.

His strong arms around me, his soft lips that were practically made to match mine, and his soft skin in contact with mine; it made me feel as though nothing had changed, and we were still in Seattle with a carefree life, the life that we thought was the best in the world. Kissing him had always felt like the best to me, and nothing had changed. I just let myself melt with him, forgetting all my problems, letting them wash away with the ocean in the background.

But should I stop yet?

The answer was no. Edward hurt me, and Caleb loved me. He was partially laid on top of me now, pressing me gently into the grass as he kissed me ferociously. One of his hands was at the nape of my neck, whilst the other supported my back – my hands matched his. He was gentle, but firm at the same time, just the way I loved...

But should I stop?

It was only when his shirt was thrown to the side and mine was beginning to be removed when I pulled away, gasping for air and trying to stop Caleb from kissing me again that I realized what I had done.

I had cheated on my fiancée with my ex-boyfriend!

"Oh _shit _Caleb!" I groaned, rolling over and sitting up properly, putting my head in my hands and suppressing a yell of frustration. I had never wanted someone so bad, and for all the wrong reasons. "What have I done!" I moaned.

"Look, we'll just keep it a secret." He promised, pulling his t-shirt back on and taking my hands. "We'll never speak of it again if you don't want to." He promised.

I looked up at him finally, and he looked so devastated. So it didn't really matter – no matter what I did I'd be hurting somebody I loved. But the blood suddenly drained from my face as I realized something. "It's too late." I whispered.

"Bella! What the hell is wrong!" he yelled, trying to break me out of my stare.

"He probably already knows, Cal!" I groaned, resisting the urge to throw myself back into his arms. "If he asked Alice to see where I'd gone, she would've seen me here with you! And Edward would know because he'd see it in her head! Come to think of it, she'd probably see it anyway – so he _definitely _knows!" I cried, standing up and weighing my options.

I could either go back and chance whether he knew or not; if he knew, then I would apologize then hightail it home; and if he didn't know, I'd act as though nothing happened and try not to let the guilt get to me. Or I could just leave now not knowing if he had found or not. Could I do that?

"Then we'll leave." Caleb said quickly, standing beside me and taking my hands again. "We'll run away together – somewhere far away where we can be together, just you and me! Come on babe, you know I'd do it for you."

But my mind was made up. I had to do something that wouldn't benefit me for once.

"No, I have to see if he knows. I owe him that much."

* * *

It was dark when we got back to the house, but of course everyone was still milling around.

Tanya was outside, but she didn't give me a smug look as though she knew I'd cheated on my fiancée. She didn't look at me at all; she just ran off into the house when we approached. But Alice was stood there on the porch, giving me a confused look and Caleb a death glare.

She knew.

"You," she called to Caleb. "Go in the house. And Bella, we need to talk." She said as calmly as she could, but I could see something brewing behind those amber eyes of hers. Fear? Betrayal? Caleb just gave me a look that said he didn't want to go, but then one saying he was sorry as he ran into the house, glaring at Alice along the way.

I followed her into the forest without a pause, and watched as she came to a sudden stop far enough from the house that we wouldn't be seen or heard. She looked at me with sad eyes, seemingly begging me to tell her it wasn't true, and that I'd just gone on an innocent walk this afternoon with my best friend.

"I'm sorry, Alice." I whispered.

"It's true then." She whispered in a shaky voice. "You cheated on my brother with your ex-boyfriend." I winced. Hearing it out loud just made it seem more and more wrong. "Why? Why would you do that? Is it because of what we were saying the other day about you? Because that was a total mistake! Please, Bella, tell me why you did it!" she begged, her eyes wild and searching.

"Because I hurt." I whispered. "You and Edward hurt me, and Caleb was so kind... I was just so angry at you all Alice! And Caleb was just talking to me and making me feel better. And then next moment we were kissing." I closed my eyes, waiting for the abuse I was about to get – I deserved it.

"Edward doesn't know." Was all she said. "Trust me, it was a nightmare keeping it from him, and he's probably going to ask you what I was hiding. Whether you tell him the truth is your decision."

"Thank you, Alice." I breathed.

"Just remember that although he said that the other night, it was the only bad thing he has ever said about you and everything else has been love. Remember that..."

"He said I was overly dramatic for crying." I scoffed, getting my anger back.

"He said it was a drama." She said slowly. "He never said anything about you being dramatic...but I suppose it could've been taken that way...But Bella, please, make the right decision. I don't want to see either you or Edward get any more hurt and distant that you have been these past few days, do you hear me?"

"Yes. Thank you, Alice."

"Make the right choice, Bella." Was all she said before running faster than I could see to the house.

So here I was, faced with another heartbreaking decision.

Did I tell Edward and face up to him? Did I act a coward and run away to Forks or New York, exiling myself from everyone? Or did I take Caleb up on his offer?

I didn't know. All I knew as I began my way back to the house, was that several people were going to get hurt tonight, and the only way I was going to make my decision was by seeing Edward.

My fate once again rested with him.

* * *

**Sorry, that's all I can say – please don't send me hate mail and/or kill me. XP**

**So what did you think? I know it's kind of a twist but I needed this. After all, the title **_**is **_**my vampire **_**apocalypse. **_**:/**

**Review please, but not too harsh! *jokes***

**Charlie**


	4. Heading Home

**Hi (:**

**Soundtrack: I Slept With Someone From Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me - Fall Out Boy**

I wasn't really in a rush to get back to the cabin – there were just too many problems waiting for me there. I was in trouble with someone no matter what happened when I got back, so what was the point in rushing the inevitable? Instead I just dragged my feet like a convicted woman across the grass, avoiding tree roots but not really watching where I was going. If I stayed in this forest on my own forever, I sure wouldn't be complaining.

I tried to come to a decision, but I just couldn't do it! I had a choice, right, to leave Alaska and never come back with either Caleb or alone, or stick around and patch things up with Edward? But as well as having that to decide, which at the moment seemed impossible, I also had to search inside myself for whom I truly belonged with – Edward or Caleb? Edward hurt me, and I had run to Caleb; but if Caleb had hurt me, I would've run to Edward! Why me? Why is this happening to me? I didn't ask for this!

Things had gone too far, like they always did.

I couldn't help but ask myself what caused all this to happen? Just a dead fucktard, a couple of werewolves and a near death experience, and my life turns completely upside down – more so than it was already, and I had a pretty fucked up life beforehand. I know, I _know _that I could've stopped what happened between me and Caleb; I already knew that I could fend him off (not that he would ever do anything I didn't want), and all it took was a little willpower to have not kissed him when he came towards me, but somehow, I had found myself incapable of either.

Oh shut _up _girl, you just wanted to get some from your incredibly hot vampire ex-boyfriend!

So now I was screwed up, had issues to work out, and a whore to boot - sweet! Could things get any worse?

Evidently they could, if what I saw when I broke through the trees was any clue: Edward and Caleb fighting as though they really wanted the other to die.

"Edward!" I yelled, running over to them and trying to find some way to pull them apart. "Edward! Caleb! Get the hell of each other you fucking idiots!" I screamed, standing uselessly by the sides. There was nothing I could to stop them! "What the hell are you _doing_?" I might as well have been invisible.

It really did look deadly, but there was no way of telling which one was winning – both looked completely and utterly immaculate, even in this state. But someone was going to get majorly hurt in a moment, maybe even killed. I had to stop it somehow! I saw my chance when they backed off from each other a little bit, and I launched myself in between them, creating a human barrier that they would have to rip through to get to the other.

"Bella, move." Edward said through gritted teeth. "You're just going to get hurt if you stand there, so get out of the way so I can rip this bastards head off." He spat. I turned to look at him, though without moving from between the two. Alice had said he didn't know, but he sure as hell looked ready to kill Caleb – what other reason would there be?

"Please stop, Edward." I said as quietly as I could. Everyone was crowded on the decking now, watching warily and making sure nothing else happened. I could see Emmett and Jasper standing ready and braced on either side of us, just in case they did start fighting again. "Or at least explain to me why you want to rip his head off."

"Because that bastard," he said loudly, not caring about who heard. "Was thinking about you in a way he really shouldn't have done! Can you really blame me for wanting to kick his ass? I was only trying to protect your honour!"

My blood went cold – colder than it had been all night. Edward was trying to defend my honour, but I had just thrown it back in his face. Looking at him now, as he glared at Caleb (who had obviously not told him about the kiss), wishing him either dead or at the very least a million miles away from us. He loved me, enough to kill somebody to protect me.

I had to tell him the truth.

"Edward," I choked out in barely a whisper – huh, Caleb was right, I have lost my ferociousness. "He was thinking about me for a reason, not just randomly." He finally looked at me, and his expression was so confused, and he looked so vulnerable that I nearly gave up right then and headed for the hills, screaming as I went.

"You don't have to tell him anything, babe." Caleb cut in. He was glaring at Edward, but Edward never took his eyes off my face.

"Bella," he whispered. "Tell me." I was horribly aware of the family on the porch, watching us all in shock, but I couldn't really tell them to leave, could I?

Oh God, he looked so vulnerable... Shakily, I took a deep breath and just told him, becoming the old Bella who didn't give a shit instantly. "I cheated on you." I heard the gasps all around me, but Edward's face remained the same. He could've been made out of stone. "I kissed Caleb, not an hour ago." I finally looked away, staring at sneakers. I had never been more disgusted with myself in my life.

"Bella, you better move, he's pretty mad." Caleb said by my ear. He tugged my arm, but I wouldn't move. No matter what Edward had or hadn't said, I couldn't leave him like this, I just couldn't! "Babe, come on, we have to go before this all kicks off." He whispered to me – but my eyes were still on Edward, the vampire who looked as though he might never move again. "Bella!" he said more urgently, tugging a little harder. Because I was staring at Edward so intently, trying to figure out what he was thinking, I stumbled when he pulled me. The only reason I wasn't on the floor was because a pale arm reached out and grabbed me. Edward.

"Watch what you're doing, Jones." He spat. "Some of us actually give a crap what Bella feels. And so you kissed her, big deal! So you're her ex and you know her pretty damn well, big deal! And I don't care if she hated me enough to kiss you," I winced. "She'll always be in here, where you can't touch her, even if she chooses to run away with you like you're flaunting so much in your head." He said snippily. His hand rested on his heart when he said that was where I would always be, and I fought not to show any emotion. It was just like Caleb to tell me something that I would have problems with later...

"Well drop her arm so that she can decide for herself who she wants to be with." Caleb's voice was ice cold- wait what?!

"Caleb!" I hissed. Oh that boy was going to get _so _much more than a punch on the nose this time-

_All the pain I thought I knew_

_All the thoughts lead back to you _

_Back to what was never said_

_Back and forth inside my head_

_I can't handle this confusion_

_I'm unable; come and take me away..._

I sent a silent prayer up to whatever God or Goddess might be listening for the invention of cell phones and perfect timing I whipped my cell out of my back pocket, but my stomach plummeted when I saw who it was: Catherine. I had told her to never call me whilst I was away unless it was a major emergency, and a major emergency in her mind was pretty damn serious. Of course by my face, everyone knew who it was.

"You'd better answer it." Edward said, forgetting our argument and looking extremely serious – he always did when something to do with work cropped up.

I nodded and pressed the green button, turning away from everyone slightly – not that it would do anything, as even the vampires on the porch would be able to hear what she was saying on the other end. "What's wrong?" I demanded as soon as I answered.

"What do you think?" she snapped. "It's the same group that having been making threats for months – they tried to storm the building this morning." She sounded so animalistic that I would have been on edge even if she hadn't just said what she had said.

"What!?" I hissed, absolutely furious. Those bastards hadn't stopped! Ever since I had first come to Forks, they had been jabbing at us, trying to provoke us – it had all started from the night I met Edward, the night I broke into their business headquarters and stole blueprints to the warehouse where Caleb was shot dead. It had basically been an ongoing war since that night, with heavy casualties to both sides (I'd been careful not to let Edward see the huge scar on my back from one night a few weeks ago when I'd gone out). Neither side would give up until the other was defeated.

Great, something else to add to my growing list of problems.

"I know, I know." She sighed, sounding a hundred years older. "Look, I know you're away, but I need you to get back here just in case they come again – or to lead the troops against them if they try anything else. They had to make do with me, and I'll be honest, they need you more."

"I'm on my way. Don't do anything except defend yourselves until I get there." I said coldly, stabbing the end call button. "I'm assuming you heard all that." I said through gritted teeth, completely pissed off with what had happened in the few days I had been up in Alaska. It couldn't have been 6 days since I was last in Zeiracorp, yet the worst had happened. "I need to get back to Seattle in case something else happens; they need me there."

There was a complete and utter silence from everyone. Caleb was probably the only one who was grinding his teeth in anger – he had worked for Zeiracorp for as long as I had, been friends with Cathy for as long as I had, and he was just as angry as I was at what was happening there. "I'll come with you." He finally said. "I know the situation, and I can help you, just as we used to." He said with a cheeky grin when I flashed him a sarcastic look.

"I don't think that's the best idea." I snapped, turning to walk away.

"Bella." Esme came rushing forward, the only one who really realized what was going on, I think. "Be careful!" she whispered shakily in my ear. I felt really bad for her to be honest, every time I went to work, she always looked like she was about to burst into tears; she knew what danger I was always in. "Come back to us when you've finished, won't you?"

"If I finish, and if I survive." It was becoming my tagline. I kissed her on the cheek and backed away, just wanting to leave now. I mean, you could practically cut the tension.

"Hey, kid!" Emmett called, jogging over and grabbing me in one of his chokehold- sorry, hugs. "You be careful, alright, and come back to us soon, okay?"

"I will, Em."

Without looking back, I ran to my jeep, which was parked in the small garage on the edge of the driveway. I opened the unlocked heavy wooden double doors that I needed to get my jeep out of, and hurried inside. My keys were kept on a shelf above the car, just in case I needed to make a quick getaway like right now (I hadn't been worried about my car being stolen of course with a house full of vampires). I climbed on top on the car since I was so small, and had just about grabbed them when someone grabbed them for me, holding them out in their pale hand.

"Be safe, please Bella." Edward whispered.

I looked up from under my lashes, not knowing how to feel towards him; angry or guilty? He looked heartbroken and scared, almost human, and even though I felt guilty, it didn't erase the anger that I knew was still inside me.

"As careful as I can be." I shrugged. He lifted me from the car, but instead of letting me go as I was set on the ground, he kept his arms tight around me. He never spoke, just gulped a few times, trying to figure out what to say. "I have to go." I said, gently resisting him.

Oh, so I can resist the opposite sex _now._

"Look," he sighed. "I meant it when I said I would always love you, no matter what you did to hurt me. And I know you feel bad about what you did with Caleb, because a) I can read you like a book, and b) Jasper felt the guilt rolling off you in waves." Damn you, Jasper. "Just keep yourself alive in Seattle, and I'll come back to you as soon as I can, because I already know that you won't be back to Alaska this summer." He said sadly, but then smiled. "Though I doubt you and Tanya are too disappointed about that. You know, I could always come with you?" it was a question, not a statement.

"No." I said firmly. My mind was still a mess, and it wouldn't be fair on Caleb, as ridiculous as that sounds, if I just left with Edward into the sunset. Edward looked disappointed, but I needed to leave – alone. "I need to be alone for a while, no you, no Caleb, and No Cullen's influencing me and telling me what I should do. I _will _keep myself as safe as possible, but we're practically in the middle of a war, and I have to do my part in it."

"I understand."

"No you don't, because I can read you like a book." I teased. "I have to go; it's a long drive back."

"You can't wait until morning?" he asked hopefully. "I mean, it's getting dark. You don't want to be driving around at night, do you?"

"I need to be there as soon as possible, and if that means driving at night, then that's what I'll do." I inhaled deeply, taking my last chance. I leant up on my tiptoes and kissed him softly, not knowing if it was a goodbye or not – a final goodbye, as melodramatic as that sounds. "I'll see you as soon as I can." I whispered. "Goodbye, Edward."

I unlocked the jeep and jumped in as he closed the door behind me. the window was still open, and he leant on it as I started the engine, fastened my seatbelt and grabbing a well-needed cigarette from the glove-box and lighting it. "Drive safely, and I'll have Alice tell me when you get there, seeing as though you'll be swept off your feet."

"I'll call you when things start to die down – I promise." He nodded, seeing through the lie and stepped away from the car as I revved the engine, tyres squealing as I sped from the garage as fast as I possibly could.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw everyone stood on the lawn in front of the house. The Denali's were gaping at my driving, whilst the Cullen's just looked anxious. But no-one waved, or called goodbyes, just like I had asked them not to – it was too final. And as I sped down the long driveway headed for home, I wondered if the next time the Cullen's saw me it would be in person, or in a black box. And if I did see them again, would I be on the arm of Edward or Caleb?

But instead of finding logical answers to those questions, I let my problems and all my responsibilities to my family drift away with the smoke from my cigarette as the lodge became invisible in my rear-view mirror.

* * *

It was around 7 in the morning when I pulled into the gas station around 50 miles outside of Seattle. I'd been driving all night, but there was nothing stopping me now that the reality of what I was heading home to sunk in. The speed limit had been nothing to me, and the police had long since given up chasing me. And I was all set to get to Zeiracorp, and the real world, in less than half an hour.

I was just finishing up filling the car, and paying with my credit card when I heard people yelling my name. "Bella!" I whirled around, automatically defensive, to see Jessica and Angela running up to me, slightly breathless, and looking eager to tell me something.

"Uhmm, hi." I said when they reached me. "What are you doing here?" it was a strange place for them to be when they said that they weren't going to leave Forks except to maybe go to La Push or Seattle this summer.

"Didn't you hear about what's going on in Forks?" Angela asked. "Your dad didn't tell you?"

"No – tell me, quickly." I said shortly. _Please _don't give me anything to add to the list.

"There's been strange animals in the forest! Apparently they've killed a few people as well. And guess what animals people have been seeing – lions! Actual lions! How crazy is that?" Jessica rushed. She might have been talking like it was just gossip, but I could see the fear beneath her eyes.

"Mountain lions, huh." I said slowly. It wasn't that much of a surprise; the Cullen's would just have to sort it when they got home.

"No, not mountain lions," she said impatiently. "_Real _lions, like you see in Africa and in zoos and that. And tigers, and I'm sure there are more..."

"Impossible." I breathed.

"I know, it's really strange." Angela shook her head. "But anyway, we're heading to my cousins for a few weeks, just to get away – the police are going insane. So if you're going back, just be careful." She warned. "Anyway, we have to go, my cousin is expecting us there in like two hours."

"Alright, bye Angela, bye Jess." I said without really concentrating. Automatically, I watched them go back into their car, waiting for them to drive off safely before getting into my own car, pulling out of the gas station on and speeding away faster than ever.

Strange things were happening in Forks.

Things were tense in Alaska.

New York was no longer my home.

My blood was wanted in Seattle.

So basically, I had no place left to call my home. I didn't allow myself to think about it though, as I pressed my foot harder on the accelerator, more desperate than ever to get to Seattle.

* * *

**Review me please, because I had to work pretty fast to get this chapter up (:**

**Charlie**


	5. Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Hello there (: Look it's kinda late, and I'm really tired from writing this ( I really just wanted to get this published and over with, so I'm not even going to read it through, sorry for any typos)**

**Soundtrack: Bad Reputation –Joan Jett **

* * *

"Miss Swan, good to have you back!"

"Thank goodness you're back, Swan!"

"Hey, Swan, nice to see you!"

I nodded to everyone I went past as I stormed through the reception, but I was in too much of a hurry to get upstairs to find out exactly what had happened whilst I was away destroying my love life. The whole front of the building was filled with a mixture of regular civilians, plain-clothed guards and regular guards. The security here was the best there was, and their gaze never failed to spot a trouble-maker. So I wouldn't have to worry about safety here too much.

I got a lot of weird looks as I strode through the crowded reception, doing my best to avoid anyone in my way – though like the first time I had come here when I moved to Forks, I looked kind of threatening. My face was set in stone – too many bad things to think about; I had stopped off at my place to get changed, and was wearing my vintage leather jacket, black jeans, doc martens, Raybans, with my hair messy and a gun in the back of my jeans (though hopefully no-one saw _that). _However I ignored everyone, making my way to the elevators as though no-one was there.

Johnny, one of my best troops stood guard by the elevator, stopping me when I got there – good, I didn't want any chances being taken.

"Hey there, Miss Swan, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Johnny."

"I'm gonna have to see some identification please, ma'am."

"Wrong, Johnny." I pointed out. "You ask for proper identification, official Zeiracorp ID; regular ID is nothing, understand?"

"Yes, I'm so sorry." He sounded mortified, and I let up on him. Sure he was 10 years older than me, but I was the boss around here. "I promise that everyone I have let up has been official employees, I _swear _it."

"I know, and it's fine. Just make sure you check properly next time." I said briskly, whipping out my ID card from the back pocket of my jeans. "Now can I go through? I'm kind of in a hurry."

"Yes, your ID checks out." He said after examining it thoroughly "Have a nice day, Miss Swan."

"As good as it can be, in the circumstances." I sighed, walking past him into the extremely over the top elevator, inserting my key that revealed the buttons and pressing the one for the restricted top floor. As soon as the doors closed shut behind me I breathed out in relief, slumping back on the metal bar. I had to put on my official face in work, and I hated it. It meant I had to go back to the pre-Forks days, the days where I didn't really have a regular personality - each day I was a different person depending on whoever it was I needed to be.

The doors eventually opened, and I stepped out onto the long gold and silver corridor where mine and Cathy's offices were since my promotion. I headed straight for hers, not bothering to knock as I barged right in, interrupting a meeting between her and the head our science department, Chantelle, who leaped from her seat as the door hit the wall. I just glared at Weaver, demanding an explanation with my eyes.

"Well hello, Bella." She said sarcastically. "I'd almost forgotten how much you love to make a grand entrance. Sit down, Chantelle; Bella is going to be more polite from now on." I rolled my eyes and took the seat next to Chantelle.

"Sorry, Dr. Dawson, but I really need to be up to date with what's been happening whilst I wasn't here." I said seriously, turning to Cathy when I'd finished. "Now, tell me everything – leave out nothing."

"We know it was the same group that have been harassing us for months, yet we've had no real reason to retaliate – we've got more important things to deal with. They came here yesterday morning, around 6:30."

"Just as the guards were switching shifts." I gasped. "Those bastards! They would've had to been watching us for weeks!"

"I know, but that's not the worst part." She said grimly. "They waited until after the night guards had left, and just before the day guards went on duty. The building was temporarily defenceless, and open to anything. About 25 came in the front, and attempted to get up here, but they were headed off before they got a chance to. We managed to fight them off, but not without casualty of our own." She shook her head and went over to the window and I followed, looking out onto the crowded streets of Seattle. "What's to say that they won't try and attack again, this time with better weapons and when we're in a more compromising situation? What makes me sick is the fact that we weren't ready. We're ready for everything, dammit!" she banged on the glass with her fist, which didn't as much as rattle from the blow.

"We'll be ready next time." I said in a whisper so deadly that I didn't sound human. "Next time, they won't know what hit them. And if there is no next time, I'll hunt them down and finish them off one by one."

"Excuse me, madams." Chantelle piped up. "But perhaps we can prevent this from happening again." We both turned to look at her, and I'm sure Cathy was as confused as I was. "If we get to them first. Like last time, Isabella and a few others can go and scope the place out, and report back here. Then we send troops down there and finish them off once and for all. We'd never have to have their threat constantly at the back of our minds." I stared at her in wonder, an idea suddenly forming in my head, yet refusing to show itself to me. "What?"

I just shook my head and turned back to the window, letting Weaver speak with her about the plan. Something was nagging me, right at the back of my mind where I couldn't quite reach it. It was the feeling you get when you know something, but can't for the life of you tell what it is. Something about Chantelle, and plans... She had been the one to suggest to Cathy the first time that we go down to the warehouse, where I was meant to have been shot dead; she was the one saying I should go there now with only a couple of men as back up. Come to think of it, she was the one who had formatted the entire mission that Caleb and I had gone on, and he had died...!

I shot across the room, grabbing her in a chokehold and slamming her back against the wall, making sure she had absolutely nowhere to go. I finally knew why weird things were happening around here. How the enemy had known when we would be defenceless, how they had known where to attack from, when would be the best time to take out our leader – me.

"Why'd you do it, you little bitch?" I hissed. "Huh?! Are you going to tell me what happened, or are you just going to let me kill you, because believe me that would make my day!"

"Miss Weaver, I swear I never-" She addressed Cathy instead of me, but I never let her finish, gripping onto her throat tighter as I got more and more angry.

"Talk to me you lying little bitch." I hissed through gritted teeth. I was seeing red as I whipped out my gun from my back pocket, holding it to her head and taking the safety off. "Tell me everything!"

"Bella!" Weaver said coldly. I turned my head a little to see that her glare was aimed at Chantelle, not me. "Let go of her – you aren't going to get any answers out of her like that." I didn't do as she asked, gripping onto her throat harder. "Bella!" she snapped. I snarled and dropped her to the floor, taking a few steps back so that I was a few steps away from her, but between her and the door and her and Weaver at all times, my eyes never leaving her face. "Now, tell us exactly what you did, and if I find that you're lying to us then Bella can kill you in any way she feels like. Do you understand? Now, explain, and make it quick!" I grinned, showing all my teeth which made her cringe back to the wall.

"I never meant to betray you." She sobbed. I scoffed, folding my arms tightly across my chest to stop my slapping the answers out of her. "They got me early on, just after Bella had broken into their building. They recognized her – Bella's reputation is pretty great – and grabbed me as I left Zeiracorp one night. They said- they said they'd kill Sammy, my little boy, if I didn't do what they told me to. It's killed me, honestly! I tried to tell you what was going on after that night, but they're watching his school! If they find out you know, they'll kill him without another thought!" she was screaming now, her wild eyes searching ours. My anger was instantly shifted to them, instead of her.

"Stand up, Dr. Dawson." I commanded, my voice hoarse. Caleb was right, I _was _getting weak. She did as she was told, but had to lean against the wall to brace herself on wobbly legs. "You know the policy here – you get threatened, either sort it out with your fists, or come to me, and I'll sort it out in a...ahh, different way." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm sorry; I should've listened to what you had to say before doing...that. But that's just what I do." I breathed out, looking up at her face which now had a lot more colour. Weaver was already on the phone sorting out some guys to go and pick up her kid. "Look, your kid's going to be fine, don't worry about _that. _Just tell me what they said you had to – there's no threat to you now; you're under our full, protection, not that you weren't before." I pointed out.

"I know," she whispered. "But I just couldn't take that chance! If anything had happened to Sammy..."

"I know – well, no I don't, I'm not a mother. But I know what it's like when you have to do something that goes against everything you believe in, or what you want to do, if it means the safety of those you love." All the times I had thought I had to leave Forks to protect everyone... "This won't happen again, I'll make sure of it. We'll put you two in a safe house, but for today Sammy will have to come here. Trust me, Chantelle, things are going to be alright now." I let some emotion slip into my voice, and I think she was surprised, though she didn't say anything.

"How can you be so kind to me?" she whispered. "After everything I've done? I mean it's my fault that Caleb..." she took a shaky breath.

"What's done is done." I said through gritted teeth.

"Sammy is on his way here." Cathy said brightly – I rolled my eyes at that. "And you are going to sit down and tell Bella and I what exactly they asked you to do, leaving out nothing. Now, we may understand why you did it, but we aren't any more inclined to trust you. You understand that we may never trust you with important information again?" she nodded her head obediently as I guided her to the seat across from Weaver's desk. I stood directly behind her with my arms at my side, just in case killing the CEO had been one of the things they had told her to do. "Now, for the second time, explain."

"They wanted Bella dead – they think she's the main threat to them, and with her gone, Zeiracorp won't stand a chance. But what I don't understand is why they want to attack this place in the first place!" she cried.

"A)" I said softly. "We need to figure out who '_they_' is; b) Zeiracorp _would_ stand a chance without me; and c), they want to get to us because we are essential to the government – we get anybody who poses a threat." I shrugged. "It's a pathetic, pointless and life-altering job, but someone's got to do it."

"What else did they ask you to do?"Cathy asked.

"They told me to find out when would be the best time to strike here, and the best way to get in to catch you off guard."

"But _why _did they try and get in?! Dammit, they didn't get anything out of it – what was the point!" I yelled.

"To send a message." Weaver said simply. "They wanted to prove that we have weak spots, and that we can't always be ready. It was weak, pointless, and pathetic, but it worked."

"Not next time." I growled.

"They don't know any more than that, I promise." I looked down at Chantelle, who seemed to be telling the truth.

"Well then, looks like it's our turn to surprise them." I said in a voice that scared even me.

* * *

"So what did you think of what she had to say?" Weaver asked later in my office, around 11 PM, long after Chantelle had left with Sammy to the 'safe house' we had set up for them.

"She was telling the truth." I sighed. "She did what she had to for her son, and lying now she has him back won't help anyone. There'll be two guards following her wherever she goes, so if she does try and get back in touch with this enemy, she won't make it far enough."

"And she never told us who they were." Weaver slammed a fist down on my desk, standing up and pacing the room. I wasn't sat down myself, I had too much energy. Instead I stood in the shadows on the left of the room, watching Weaver with anxious eyes. It wasn't like her to get wound up. "We don't even know who we're up against!"

"Then I'll find out!" I shouted. "I'll find out who it is, and then I'll deal with them!"

"With only a couple of back up?" she scoffed. "In case you've forgotten, the last time you did that, someone you cared about was shot dead!" I ignored that – it brought up too much pain.

"Completely alone, if I have to."

"You're suicidal!" she hissed.

"Perhaps." I sighed. "Look, we really need to figure out what's going on here, and we need to do it fast. It isn't going to be long before they figure out that Chantelle isn't working for them anymore, unless they already know."

"It's likely." She said grimly. "Look, there isn't anything we can do here until we know more – that building you broke into all those months ago has long since shut its doors, so we haven't got any information until your suicide mission." She glared.

"Well someone's got to do it, and I'd rather it be me!"

"Whatever." She glared at me through narrowed eyes. "You might gave problems, Isabella Swan, but killing yourself for the damn governments sake is not the answer, do you hear me?" I nodded. "Good. Now, as I was going to say, you may as well go home – and I mean to Forks. There isn't anything left to here for the moment, and I'll inform you when I need you to come back."

"I'll be here around 12 tomorrow." I said before she could say anything else.

"Alright then. And Bella," she said as I made my way out of the office. I turned to her, seeing her following me out. "Just remember who you _really _are underneath what you've been lead to believe you are, alright?" her comment confused me, I'll admit, but I didn't even give it a second thought as I watched her go down the hallway.

* * *

It was around midnight when I got back to Forks. The light was on in the living room – there must be a game on tonight - , my Lamborghini was still parked in the driveway where I had left it a week ago, my curtains were still drawn, and everything looked as it had when I left. But how could it be? I wasn't the same person who had left, really. But still, I parked the Jeep in front of my house, grinning to myself as I saw Charlie's at first confused face glancing out of the window turn to one of happy surprise. At least one person was happy to see me.

I had just gotten out of the car when I heard soft footprints behind me. I whirled, pulling the gun out of my jeans, all set for some pathetic excuse for a man attempting to shoot me. Instead, I saw Jacob Black stood about 3 feet away from me, an easy smile on his face. Over his shoulder were all the other La Push boys, stood by the edge of the forest with their arms folded. None of _them _looked happy.

"What's up, Jake?" I grinned, leaning into his hug.

"Hey there, Bella." His grin disappeared as I pulled away, to be replaced with concern. "You're home early, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just a problem I had to deal with." Problem, right. "Is everything okay with you? You look...on edge."

He swallowed deeply, looking back at Sam, who nodded, before answering me. "Bella, I'm sure you've heard about the animals in the woods-"

"They're shapeshifters, aren't they?" _shitshitshit, _how could I have forgotten?!

"Yeah, but we haven't spoken to any of them, they refuse to meet with us in human form. It looks as though they were searching for something, or someone, but now they've gone. They were outside this house, so maybe..."

"They wanted me." I pinched the bridge of my nose. This fucking list was getting longer and longer.

"Yeah. But Bella, we think there's one still in town, that's why we've been sticking around Charlie's house. So just watch out whilst you're here. And hey," he added as an afterthought. "When are the Cullen's getting back?"

"Not till the end of the Summer, why?"

"Nothing, it just means we can watch over here for longer." He smiled, turning to go back into the woods. "We're going to be watching, but be careful anyway!" he called as he ran.

"Bye, Jake, bye boys!" I called. They all melted back into the shadows, literally becoming creatures of the night as I turned my back on the forest and headed for the house, my first thoughts going to my bed.

"Hey, Bells!" Charlie called enthusiastically as I walked into the house. He came out to meet me, pulling me into a strong hug. "I thought you were staying in Alaska all summer? Is everything alright?" he asked, suddenly in concerned-father mode.

"Not really; there was a really big problem at work, and, well, I kind of fell out with Edward." I mumbled.

"What! What happened?"

"He said some things, I did some things." And some_one _"But I really don't want to talk about it. Right now I just need sleep! I've been up since 11 AM yesterday!" I groaned, realizing why I felt like death. Sleep was practically my best friend.

"Jesus, Bella, you should have called me to pick you up! You could've been killed!"

"I'm fine, dad." I yawned. "Can I please go to sleep now?" I groaned.

"Yeah, yeah, head on up. The bed's made and everything." I shuffled up the stairs, all set for collapsing into bed and forgetting my problems.

But of course, nothing I ever want to happen, happens, does it?

The moment I flicked on the light, my tiredness was forgotten, my stance becoming defensive, and the gun once again my hand, pointed out in front of me. Someone was in my room. In my fucking _room. _

"Who the hell are you?" I snarled, inching into the room and kicking the door shut behind me so that Charlie wouldn't hear anything.

It was a woman, a woman with blonde hair down to her waist, pale skin, and electric blue eyes. "Please listen to me!" he voice was urgent but not frightened. "Don't shoot, just hear me out!"

"Talk, but make it quick. I'm tired, and more likely to kill people when I'm tired. So I'll ask again, who are you?"

"I'm Naomi – I'm your cousin."

* * *

**Kinda Cliffy, because Bella didn't think she had any family apart from Emmett, Charlie and Renee (:**

**The next few chapters are going to be explaining a bit, like this one was – sorry if it was complicated!**

**Review me please (:**

**Charlie**


	6. Leaving

Hmm, I don't remember when I last updated this story, so if it's been a while, my bad (:

**Read and Review! (:**

**Soundtrack: All I Wanted – Paramore**

"What the hell are you talking about?" I scoffed. "I don't have any cousins, and if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd know about them!" I stowed the gun away in the back on my jeans as I did so – she wasn't a threat to me anymore. "So explain yourself a little better, but do it quickly – tonight isn't really a good night." I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face and turning off the light. If she was what I thought she was, she didn't need to light to see.

As I collapsed onto my bed, feeling like the weight of the world, she folded herself daintily onto the little wooden chair opposite my bed, looking like an alert squirrel as she folded her legs beneath her. They looked nothing alike, but in a way she reminded me of Alice. "Well like I said, I'm Naomi Swan. I'm sure your mom never told you about her brothers and sister." She quirked a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"No, she didn't, and for good reason. As I'm sure you've figured out, I'm not the average human being." I sighed.

"Neither am I." She flashed me a grin of pearly white teeth, with canines that were deadly and razor-sharp. "By the fact that you aren't screaming questions at me like 'what the hell are you, you crazy bitch?' I'm guessing you know what I am, and what our family is. And just so you know, I know that you're a spy, and so was my aunt Renee."

"I figured from the casual look you gave my Glock." I quirked an eyebrow, laughing at how similar we seemed to be. "Let me guess: Shapeshifter?"

"Well done." She smiled. "But look, aunt Renee kept you away from the rest of us for our safety and yours." She scoffed. "And now we've come to find you, to show you your proper heritage if you want to, and to warn you of an enemy we both share regardless. We value the safety of our own, and these guys are dangerous." Her perfect face became angry, and she glared down at the floorboards. "Fuckers." She muttered.

"Like I need more enemies!" I groaned, horribly aware of my human father downstairs. I'll be damned before I drag Charlie into any more of my shit. "And who's we?"

"The rest of the family of course! Aunt Renee's sister Lily – my mom - ; her two brothers, Jonathan and Ty; their kids, Ash, Casey, Tammy and Joshua; and others from other packs that have joined us. Of course the Swan's weren't too happy that your mom married a human, but what could they do, right? They never forced her to be part of the pack." She shrugged. "We all chose this life." She sighed.

"Part of the....pack?"

"Yes, Bella, the pack." She said slowly. "You really aren't grasping this, are you?"

"Well it's not exactly something that happens every day – your cousin turning up in your room telling you that – what the hell did you come for?" I hadn't actually occurred to me that I didn't actually know what_ she_ was here for, if the others had left already.

"To warn you that the others of my pack are coming to see you, and if they see your dad on the way...well I'm not sure what they'll do or say to him, which is why I came to warn you to leave here before they get back. Have you got somewhere far away that you can go and meet them? Because they aren't going to stop until they find you, you know, and I doubt they'll be happy if you don't meet them."

"Alright, alright." I said, exasperated. It was just one disaster after another lately. "I'll go and meet them somewhere. Can you head them off, and tell them where I'm going? Just make sure they don;t come here!"

"Of course!" she said brightly. "What else are family for?"

"Thanks, Naomi."

"So...where are you going to go?"

I pondered for a moment; there was only one place that I knew like the back of my hand, a place that I could be sure Charlie would never follow me to, somewhere that memories of Renee still lingered....New York City. "I'll be in New York City. Tell them to meet me at my apartment building, if they can find it, in two days time. If they aren't there then, I'm leaving, and never going back there or back here, do you understand?" I hoped they would get there on time. Living my whole life on the run from shapeshifters didn't seem very optimistic to me. "And if they as much as touch Charlie, I'll rip them apart with my bare hands, shapeshifter or not."

"Yes, of course I'll tell them." She nodded like an obedient puppy, her blue eyes wide and unfazed. She got up like a dancer and walked over to the window, her long blonde hair draping behind her like a cloak. "Consider it done, cuz." She winked.

"Hey, Naomi, just out of curiosity," I said as she started to climb through the window. "What do you turn into?"

"Cheetah. The speed's what I wanted when I first changed, and believe me; it's out of this world!" She grinned. "I should go. I'll head off the others and tell them to meet you in New York in a few days time. See you soon, Bella, and it really was nice to meet you." She grinned at me one last time before jumping gracefully out of the window, and I presumed, landed like a cat.

I would've gone to the window to check, but I was too exhausted to move anywhere. I managed to crawl underneath the sheets, still fully clothed before collapsing into a well-deserved night's rest. My problems would still be there in the morning. They always were.

* * *

My eyes opened slowly, but reluctantly when I woke up sometime the next day. I daren't even look at the clock. I knew from my extremely stiff muscles and sore eyes that I had slept for a long, long time – longer than I should've done.

I leaned out of bed to look at the clock, which read 6:30 AM, Monday July 30th. Wait – I'd been asleep for over 18 hours! Was that even _possible? _I shot out of bed, grimacing at the state my clothes were in and wincing at what a sight I looked in the mirror opposite my bed surprised that I actually cared to be honest. But dang, Weaver was going to kill me! I was supposed to have been at work yesterday!

I had no time to worry about her though, or even the state that Zeiracorp was in. I had other problems to deal with now, things that needed my immediate attention – Cathy could manage everything without me. Besides, from what Chantelle had said, it had been because of me that things were happening there in the first place.

So instead of grabbing my car keys and rushing across to Seattle like another me would've done, I picked up my cellphone from the desk, seeing if I had any hate messages from Cathy – hell, or even from one of the Cullen's or Caleb. But when I picked it up, I saw I had plenty of missed calls, and four voicemails; one from Cathy, one from Edward, one from Alice, and one from Emmett. I pressed the first one, the one from Cathy, and listened.

"_Look, Bella." _she sighed. _"I know you were exhausted yesterday, so I understand why you weren't in today, but could you please call me? Because some of us are starting to get a little...concerned with the amount of absences you've had lately." _What the fuck! I had been there almost every day before I went to Alaska! I could almost see Cathy rolling her eyes as she said this, though. She never gave a damn about my 'absences'._ "Anyway call me back when you get this – we've had a little bit of a breakthrough with what we've been working on." _No goodbye and nothing official said down the phone.

Sighing, I turned to the next message, which was from Edward. _"Hey, Bella, it's Edward. Alice told me that you'd gotten to Zeiracorp alright, but that there were more problems there or something – she didn't look into it because it's none of our business. But I called because...well I guess I just wanted to hear your voice. It's been so long, or at least it seems like so long, since we last spoke, and frankly...I miss you." _I could practically see him running his hands through this hair as he said this. _"Shit. Look, you don't have to call back if that will, uhhh, bother you, but could you text me or something, just to let me know you're okay?" _he paused, and I knew he was going to say something he wasn't sure he should say. _"And I just want you to know that I love you, no matter what, okay? See you soon, Bella." _Greatgreatgreat, a broken boyfriend.

I was seriously contemplating throwing my phone against the wall when I clicked on the next message, which was from Alice. _"Hi, Bella! It's your favourite sister, Alice!" _jeez, Alice, I laughed._ "Look, I'm sorry about everything that happened when you left Alaska, and I just wanted to make sure you knew that I didn't tell Edward a thing! And...we're still sisters, right? Because you know that no matter what, we'll still be close. But listen, Edward doesn't want me to tell you this, but we're heading back down to Washington in a couple of days. Things are really tense up here, and I think we all just need to see you, and to apologize properly. You should see Esme, she thinks it's all her fault! But anyway, I'll let you know when we're on our way back. And I'll see you soon?" _It was a question, not a statement.

The final message was from Emmett. _"Hey, there, kid. Alice told me the whole story about what happened with you and Caleb, and I just want to assure you that I'm not siding with Edward." _what? _"He might be my brother-in-law, but if you decide to go with Caleb, know that you have my full support. Bells, you're my sister, and I gotta stick by you, for my sanity just as much as your safety! Just promise me you'll think things through before you go running off with somebody – it could be the worst choice you ever make." _Wow, Emmett giving me relationship advice? I was freaked out, but in a good way, _"Anyway, like Alice has probably already told you." _He laughed. _"We're coming home in a few days. Tanya has done nothing but bitch about you, and I feel like punching her the way you did – I mean, that was one sweet right hook! Seems as though you didn't need a dad or big brother to teach you how to fight!" _no matter how well he hid it, I heard the sadness in his words._ "Look I gotta go, but I'll see you when I get back, kid. Just keep yourself safe, okay?" _the dial tone clicked, and I fell back into my room.

Before I did anything else, I sent a quick text to Edward – _I'm fine, don't worry about me. See you soon, I promise._

I threw my phone back onto the desk, still exhausted after all that sleep. I knew that I had to be in New York for tomorrow to meet the 'shifters, but I just couldn't bring myself to move. I had lost all will to do anything – life had just screwed me one time to many, and I was sick of it.

Groaning, I sat up and walked over to the wardrobe, looking for comfy clothes that I could travel in, but also meet my family in as well. I didn't want to look like too much of a scruff. I browsed through my clothes sadly, wishing Alice were here to give me advice that I usually brushed off or laughed at. In the end I just chose a simple pair of dark jeans, a ripped but kinda smart t-shirt that would do for the warm weather in New York, and my leather jacket from the back of the chair, just in case. I roughly pulled my hair into a ponytail, stuck my feet into my combats, and headed out of the door, grabbing my car keys as I went.

I took one last glance at my bedroom – the one that Emmett had spent time decorating and fixing up whilst I was in the hospital after my car accident. Maybe I'd see it again, maybe I wouldn't. Still, as I closed the door behind me, I really did wish that I could just crawl back into bed and stay there forever, never having to deal with the outside world or any of the murderers or mythical creatures in it ever again.

It was 6:30 in the morning, and I knew Charlie had been starting his night shift yesterday – he wouldn't be home until around 7 or 8, and I had no time to wait for him. The living room was still dark as I grabbed a pen and paper and hastily wrote a note, hoping he'd understand.

_Dad, _I wrote, _I need to go to New York for a little while – please don't ask me to explain why. If anyone comes to the door asking for me, tell them that's where I am, and that you haven't heard from me since I left. Emmett and the others are due back in a few days time. Show them this note, and just explain that things are a little crazy at the moment, please? I'm sorry I gotta rush out like this, but it really is important. As always, don't expect me home. I love you dad, really. Bella._

It was cold, it was distant, and only the last line showed that I really cared, but at least it was a reason for my sudden disappearance. But I had to hand it to Charlie, he always took my leaving home every five minutes well – in fact, he took both mine and Emmett's lifestyle pretty well, considering how quick we dumped it on him. His face had been a picture.

Smiling at the memory, I hurried out of my childhood house to my Lamborghini – the Jeep really was too big for just one person. I'm sure that the Cullen's could make better use of it – I wasn't headed straight for New York, though. There was still just one stop left to make.

* * *

Naturally, being the biggest, grandest house with the best view, it was no wonder that the house I had briefly shared with Caroline and Brian was already sold to some family. It still looked the same, maybe a little less ominous now I was seeing from the point of view of a resident here in Forks instead of the new girl in town. I remember the first time I had come here, and all I had wanted to do was get back in my car and speed back home – but this _was _my home now.

I parked my car a little way down the street. Naturally it would stick out, but I hoped to be in and out of the house in as short a time as possible, and before the residents of this quiet little street were up and about.

I jogged up to the house, staying in shadow and always looking over my shoulder in case anyone saw me – luck stayed with me, there really was no-one about. I had had a phone call from the owner a few weeks ago about some stuff of ours that was still there; I also knew that it was being kept in the garage.

The garage had a side door, with a really crummy lock that I picked easily and slipped inside, knowing there was no alarm. It was dark, so switched on the flashlight I had brought from the car, using its bright glow to find the boxes that now belonged to me. They were at the back, underneath some old cloths. At first I was disappointed, finding only bits of Caroline's pathetic pink crap and Brian's work stuff, but nothing of mine; I'd probably taken everything when I moved out. I still went through their things anyway, seeing if there was anything that I could claim as my own.

I was rifling through the first box when I found it.

It was a silver photo frame, one of those really expensive ones that you put your wedding photo in. It had red and yellow jewels in each corner, and the stand was meant to be a vine of some sort. But I barely glanced at the photo frame; all I looked at was the picture. It was a picture of me, around 10 years old, and my mom on Clearwater beach in Florida – she'd just split up with this loser, and she took me to Orlando and Disneyland for a special holiday, one that stretched out 2 months! My mom looked so young on the photo, so full of life and love that it made my heart ache and tears spring in my eyes. We were laughing and hugging in this one, really close to the camera with just a hint of the sand and the sea in the background. I longed for that time again, when there was no worries, no killings, and no problems. Just me and my crazy mom deciding to extend a two week holiday into a two month holiday, simply because we could...

"Who are you?" I spun around on my heel, totally caught unawares by the little voice that had disrupted me. I really should've listened properly, though. It was only a little girl, around 6 or so; little blonde pigtails, a pink dressing gown, a teddy bear clutched close to her chest, and she looked terrified.

Terrified of me.

"Honey, what are you_ doing _out here? Do you know what time it is?" I asked gently, glad that I hadn't either gone to rush her when I first heard her or pulled my gun out.

"I wanted my doll, I left her in here yesterday." She said timidly. "I couldn't sleep all night, and when it got sunny, I came down to find her."

I spied the doll on the side next to me and handed it to her, making my movements slow and gentle so I wouldn't scare her. "Thank you. But who are you? This is my daddy's garage, and he'll be really mad if he finds you here."

I turned back to the boxes, rummaging through them some more, but keeping the picture close to me. "I used to live here." I smiled at her, still searching. She padded over and sat beside me, watching me work. Brave kid. "I'm just looking through these boxes for some of my stuff."

"Okay, I won't tell daddy." She said seriously after a moment. "What are you looking for?"

"To be honest, kid, I don't know." I sighed. "You like pink?"

"Yeah." She nodded eagerly. "But my name means red. I'm Scarlett. How about you? I bet you have a pretty name. You have a pretty face." I chuckled, handing her all the little trinkets and small cushions I could find. And Bless her, she even fetched a bag from the corner to put them all in!

"Scarlett is a very pretty name. I'm...Bella."

"Bella." She tested it out. "I like that name! How old are you, Bella?"

"Nosy, aren't we?" I teased. "I'm 16...but I'm 17 tomorrow. Damn, I completely forgot." I really had forgotten. Somehow, my birthday hadn't seemed like such an important thing this year; or maybe it had, and I'd been too busy to remember it. "I'll bet you're like 6, or something..." I trailed off, finding something in one of the boxes.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked softly, forgetting about my forgotten birthday remark.

"You could say that."

I pulled out a certificate from the bottom of Brian's box, a yellowing piece of paper that was awarded to him for services to the country. The country, what the hell? Hastily, I shoved it back into the box, wanting nothing more to do with it. I already had enough mysteries to figure out; I didn't need a secret of bloody Brian's to sort out as well as my own.

Scarlett stood at the same time I did, pulling her bag of goodies with her. "Are you leaving?" she asked sadly.

"I have to, kid." I smiled at her, mussing her hair as we walked to the door. I'd make sure she got back into the house okay, seeing as though she had run off screaming that there was a burglar in her garage.

"Will I see you again?" she asked wistfully when we were outside. "You remind me of a big sister! Sasha in my class has a big sister, and she's always buying her sweets and taking her to the park and to the movies. Everyone picks on me in my class – they say that I'm spoilt and that I'm just a daddy's girl, but they don't know anything! I always wished I had a big sister to protect me... But you gave me all these pink things! Does that make you my sister?" she exclaimed.

"Shh!" I said half-heartedly, looking out for anyone seeing what the noise was about.

"Will you be my big sister?" she had the cutest little smile on her face, and even after five minutes, I'd begun to feel a sort of protectiveness for the kid, so I answered as truthfully as I could.

"Listen, Scarlett." I knelt down so that we were at the same height. "I'm going away from here, maybe even for the rest of my life, but I'll make you one promise: if I come back to Forks, then I will come and see you and I'll be your big sister, okay?"

"Hmm...okay." she said after a while. She flung herself forward into my arms, and I felt an instinctive mother-like protection rear up inside me, the way nearly all mothers feel when they have a child. I wasn't like Rosalie, who I knew wanted a child more than anything else in the world, but it did get me thinking about my future...

"Goodbye, Scarlett. Maybe I'll see you soon." I smiled.

"Bye, Bella."

"Now go on, up to bed." She scampered off into the house, giving me a little wave before closing the door firmly behind her.

I stood up and marched briskly towards my car, stopping when I got to the passenger door. I could still see the house from where I was, just as I had left it all those months ago. But unlike when I left my New York apartment for Forks, I felt no regret about leaving this place – the place where I had felt no love, and had been ignored by the people who were supposed to be taking care of me. From the top window, a small face peered out, spying me down the road and smiling, but before I turned to get in the car, I could've sworn I saw a tear rolling down her face.

* * *

The streets were starting to get traffic, making me even more anxious to get out of town before my dad saw me, or the Cullen's saw me on their way back from Alaska, if it was today they were coming home. As I turned onto the freeway, leaving my home behind me, I shed my own tears, remembering what Cathy had said: _Just remember who you really are underneath what you've been lead to believe you are. _And the person I really was was frightened, and not ashamed of it. I wasn't afraid of my own fate, just the people I might be leaving forever. Someone was out to get me, and I was just leaving everyone I loved behind without a second thought. Meeting Scarlett had released emotions in me, emotions that I had kept hidden for longer than I cared to remember.

But like I always did, I shut them away, pressing harder on the accelerator as I sped back to where I had once called home.

Dear New York: I'm coming home.

* * *

**Good or Bad? Let me know!**

**Charlie**


	7. Home Sweet Home?

**Hey, didn't I update yesterday or something? Whatever, I don't remember – I just wanted this chapter to be posted because I had so many ideas that I really didn't want them to get lost.**

**Warning – this chapter will be kind of...difficult if you don't really get the story and how Bella's feelings work; it'll also be kind of a shock to those who do :/**

**Soundtrack: You Burn First – Alexisonfire**

* * *

After around 6 months of living in wet, cold, silent Forks, driving in New York was a complete shock to the system. It was a good thing I had learnt to drive here, and had lived here for most of my life, otherwise I just never would've coped! Crazy New Yorker's cutting you off no matter where you were, and getting stressed and swearing at everyone had taken over me after about 5 minutes of being just outside the main city.

But hey, it's all a part of the city, right?

Surprisingly, the traffic down 5th avenue wasn't so bad today, but it was where I wanted to be in the first place. I stole the only available parking space left outside the Zeiracorp office (Weaver's parents had bought a huge building, converting it into a New York branch for our company years ago), and opposite Central Park. As I climbed out of the car, gazing upon the familiar sight, I remembered the last time I'd been in there:

_It was at the end of December, and I'd just come out of training in the New York branch of Zeiracorp. I had been told to stay working at this building for the rest of this year, and that I wouldn't have to go back to working in Seattle for a while. Caleb was disappointed, because he didn't want to be back here with his nagging parents, but he couldn't really do anything about it. _

_It was really cold, but six hours of training made the crisp air feel wonderful on my over-heated skin. I sat in the park, watching people go by, and laughing to myself, shaking my head at their naivety of the world. They could bitch about taxes, and fuel prices, and how late the kids stayed out last night, or whether or not Gucci was having a sale this weekend; it didn't matter, they hadn't seen how cruel the world could be yet. Not as much as I had, and I was only 16, and had only being doing this job for under a year now!_

_I loved to sit in there and just relax, feeling how calm the place was, and how nothing really changed in here. And maybe if I closed my eyes, my mom would come and tease me for falling asleep, the way she used to..._

My eyes opened with a snap.

I hadn't actually realized they were closed and I was in a full on trance until a car screeched its brakes very close to me, jolting my back to the present with a slight bump. Suddenly I was back in an awful society – a place where my problems were very much real and unsorted.

But for once, I let them all go, thinking about doing what was right for me, instead of right for everyone else. Usually I would've found this weird but...I didn't really feel right today.

My old apartment was down the Avenue of the Americas - but I just called it 6th avenue. What was the point in calling it something else? – but I didn't head there straight away. Instead I jogged across the road when no-one was yelling, heading into central park for a walk to clear my head before I went somewhere and crashed – I didn't feel tired, but I probably would later. It was like 9AM – I'd been driving all night, pushing the car as fast as it would go, and it hadn't failed me. This is why I invested in a fast, expensive car that could get me from Forks to New York in just over 14 hours!

I didn't get any strange looks as I walked down 5th to one of the park entrances, nor did anyone recognize me and shout my name, though I was half expecting it. That was the beauty of being somewhere so large that you would probably never bump into someone you know by accident, and my look was nowhere near out of the ordinary compared to some people that you saw walking around the place. But even though this was where I had grown up, and had spent the vast majority of my life, it didn't feel as much of a homecoming as I thought it had been. Maybe Forks really _was _my home now.

The park wasn't busy, seeing as though it was 9:30 on a Monday morning, and the New Yorkers were at work, the joggers had been and gone, and the tourists were still lost somewhere. It looked the same as it did the last time I had been in, but like walking down 5th, it really didn't feel so much of a homecoming as I'd thought. The trees were nice to walk under, but they were nothing compared to the wet, shaded, confined woods of Washington, and the people here I knew were a lot more arrogant, spoilt and selfish from the small-town community of Forks!

Oh God, I really had become a Washington girl.

I threw myself onto a bench, leaning back against the already warm wood and exhaling; I was glad I'd left my jacket in the car. So now I couldn't even decide which city I was from? Huh, maybe it wasn't my life screwing me over – maybe it was just my inability to make decisions!

_All the pain I thought I knew_

_All the thoughts lead back to you _

_Back to what was never said_

_Back and forth inside my head_

_I can't handle this confusion_

_I'm unable; come and take me away..._

Seriously, why did I even take my cell phone out of the car?

I pulled it out of my pocket, groaning at the caller ID: it was Emmett.

"Department of fucktards, Bella speaking." I answered.

"Huh, that was pretty good for you, Bells." I rolled my eyes.

"Always with the compliments, huh big brother? What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me what you're doing in New York?" It was a question, not a statement. "Seriously, we just got back here, with Edward and Alice wanting to speak with you, not to mention me, and dad hands me this letter saying you've taken off to New York for God knows what reason." His annoyed voice became a little worried. "Hey, is everything alright at that place – you know, where you work? From what I heard of that phone call things were pretty intense." I groaned. I _so _didn't want to get into this right now! Was it too much to ask just to spend one morning in the park, or did my problems love me that much they never wanted to leave me?

"Yeah things are intense, but I had to come down here for another reason. I'm in a pretty public place right now, so I don't want to say anything about it – ask Jacob, he'll be able to tell you."

"Joy." He muttered.

"And as for wanting to speak to me, here's your chance. What did you have to say so badly that you had to leave Alaska to come and see me?" I pulled my legs onto the bench, folding them beneath my body. More people were starting to mill around, and I just wanted to make myself as small as possible...okay, I was definitely starting to not be myself today.

"You really can't guess?" he asked in a confused voice. "Huh, guess I just wanted to talk to you." He sighed, but I knew he was changing the subject. "I don't know, it just seems that ever since I married Rose, you and me aint been that close, you know?"

"That's not true." I lied. "Come on, Emmett! I'll admit, we haven't really been as close lately, but there's just been so many things going off that there really hasn't been time."

"Yeah, I guess." He sighed. "Did you get my message?"

"Yeah...it was a bit of a shock."

"Well I meant every word." He said sharply. "You're my baby sister, and that overrides any family members I inherited from getting married! And whatever you choose, you got me to stick up for you, understood?"

"Yeah. And likewise, Em, you'll always be my brother, no matter what." Tears were springing up in my eyes from the way our conversation was going. There was suddenly more people around, and I longed to be at home! There wasn't much signal, but I would've rather had this conversation in the forest somewhere! I needed family right now. Something inside me just told me that something awful was going to happen, and happen soon.

"Alright, Bells, I'll let you go. You got any plans for today?"

"No, not really." Liar. "I doubt I'll be down here long though." liar. "So I'll head up to Forks as soon as I'm done with things here." Once again: liar.

"Uhhm, Bella, no offense, but do you know what today is?" he asked slowly. I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

"Monday?"

"...Bells, it's your 17th birthday." I froze. Of course, _of course! _That's why he called, and that's why he rang me! "You really forgot?"

"Yeah, I guess I did. Look, I really don't want to get into this, so I'll see you when I get back."

"Fine, but Alice knows what today is, and no doubt she'll be planning things..."

"And rest assured I will be back to kill her for doing so." I laughed shakily. "Bye, Em."

"Bye, Bells, and happy birthday!" I laughed high and fake-like, ending the call and standing up from the bench, suddenly much more eager to get my job done, so I could meet the shapeshifter pack and go home – go back to my real home; there was just nothing left for me here, nothing but bad memories. Naomi had said that joining the shifter pack and learning my heritage was optional, right? Well I didn't want anything to do with it. My mom had quit – I would quit. And by quitting, I meant quitting everything.

I began a brisk walk out of the park and back down 5th avenue, turning at the very end to go down 6th avenue, instead of continuing down 5th.

I passed a whole load of people just on my way to the apartment, people that I had probably never seen, probably would never see again, and it was likely that in five minutes I wouldn't remember their faces. I had forgotten just how big the park actually was, and it took me a while to get to the end of the street, and onto the next avenue.

I used to always come down 5th avenue shopping. I could just whip out my black credit card in any store and buy whatever the hell I wanted, simply because I could. Alice would like that, and so would Rose, I bet. If I ever came back, I'd take them shopping down here – whether or not it was wedding dress shopping was still being determined in my mind. Though if I were perfectly honest with myself...things were starting to really sway in Edward's direction.

I mean, at least Edward had bothered to say goodbye to me when I left Alaska to put myself in danger; at least he had attempted to ring me to make sure that I got home safely; at least he left me a voicemail expressing his love seeing as though I didn't pick up the phone. He cared about me, and even though he rung to make sure I was safe, he wasn't clingy or possessive. He had been willing to let me go with Caleb for crying out loud, simply because that would've been what I wanted. He loved me, but he didn't own me, and he knew it; he knew I could look after myself, but he always checked to make sure I was okay, sometimes I think I needed that – just to know someone really _did _care about what happened to me.

As for Caleb? The total opposite.

He let me go without a goodbye; he never called; he never said he was sorry; he never gave me a choice; he was never willing to let me go if that was what I wanted. The choices he made were to benefit him, not both of us. Don't get me wrong, I knew he loved me, but sometimes I just think that all he cares about is getting me, and us going back to the way things used to be. But it's too late. I've changed, he changed, our situation changed; we can never go back to who we once were. But Caleb knows me better than I know myself! And he has never stopped loving me, never said anything to hurt me...

Does that mean I've made up my mind once and for all?

...I'm going to go with a simple yes, not a definite one. He may have his flaws, but I know exactly who I want to spend the rest of my life with...

I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I almost walked past the apartment building.

It was quite fancy in its own way, but nothing compared to some of the penthouses we had been in before, or could've lived in. It was made of greyish-brown stone, with a front area leading up to the heavy wooden doors. There were only two apartments in the whole place. They weren't so big, but perfect if there were only two people living there; maybe that's why Caroline had wanted to move out.

I walked in the door, grinning at the lack of doorman; we really didn't care here; there were usually artists in the other apartment, or poor students who could only afford to live here. I knew know my mom had plenty of money, and she could've lived somewhere better, but she liked to keep me close to reality. "No pathetic private schools with heiresses, or parties with wannabe princesses!" she had said to me plenty of times. It didn't bother me, though, I was a feminist through and through – I always had been.

The apartment was on the left hand side, and had been, to my confusion, boarded up. I ripped the note from the door, which said something about the sight being under official investigation. At the bottom was signed a red Z in a black circle: Zeiracorp. If someone had been in this apartment and had gone through the stuff that had been left here I was going to go beserk! I had _ordered _the place to be locked up so that I could come back here and search for anything hidden. So help me if Cathy had already had people looking...!

I broke through the wood on the door quickly, but quite loudly. I didn't care, though. No-one was going to stop me now. The door unlocked from the inside, and I quickly let myself in, closing the door and locking it behind me before I was seen.

This place had changed since I last saw it – big time.

Dust engulfed everything, covering all the furniture in a soft, powdery sheen; the windows had been partly boarded up, so it was pretty dark; a lot of items were missing from when we had moved; my feet were making too much sound compared to what they usually sounded on the plush carpet. Looking down, I saw that it had been pulled up and not replaced properly, and the part I was walking on was just floorboard. I knew Cathy wouldn't be able to stop herself from checking!

I didn't bother checking the kitchen or the back yard; there was nothing important there. Besides, this wasn't my mom's home anymore; Caroline had made sure of _that_. Instead I made my way up the stairs, being transported to the night where I had thrown two fits because Brian and Caroline were making me move to Forks. Little did they know that that tiny little town marked the end for both of them, both for revenge that they weren't involved in, but one of them more gruesomely sadistic than the other...Brian, all I can say is that I know what you went through, man.

I walked along the upstairs landing, looking into my old room. It really was bare in here, except for the worn red carpet. I had made sure that everything of mine was removed from here and taken to my new home – I couldn't afford to leave _anything _behind. It kind of frightened me to think back to how different I was back then. I didn't even recognize my own reflection in the mirror anymore, though whether or not that was a good thing I didn't know – a little bit of both, I reckon.

I bypassed Caroline and Brian's room, which had been the spare when it had just been me and my mom. He had moved out of his my mom's room when she died – it hurt him too much to be in there.

Finally I came to a stop outside my mom's room, which had a keypad installed, and had a note taped to the door. Both were new, and I forgave Cathy a little bit.

_Bella, _the note said, _Sorry for sending people into this apartment when you asked me not to, but if there was anything in the main part of the house, then we needed to get it out just in case anyone broke in. I know you know what security was in your mother's room, but we don't, and I know you'll want to search through her things yourself. You know the password: it's the end._

_Catherine Weaver_

The password was the end? The end of what? I figured it out quickly.

Hands shaking, I entered the combination _301208; _the green light flashed on the pad, and the door swung open eerily, revealing a room that hadn't been stepped in for almost a year and a half, not even by me. The end – the end of my happy life, the end of my mother's life, the end of Bella Swan, and introducing General Swan, leader of the troops of Zeiracorp, as well as a major government spy – the 30th of December 2008, the date when both my mother and me died.

If I thought the downstairs room was awful, this was something else. The dust was at least an inch thick, and it smelt of must really badly. It had the preserved feeling of a place that has been locked away for a very long time, and I suppose a year and a half was a long time to go without any human inhabitants.

If I thought I could handle this, I was wrong – so wrong. My thought in the park had been right: something bad was going to happen, and it was too late to stop it. Before I could back away, stopping everything before it got out of control, I felt something inside of me snap. All I could think was that it was my control – I just let it go. I'd kept myself in check for 18 months – I'd had enough.

I just found myself so angry at absolutely nothing, yet absolutely everything at the same time! My mother, the one who was supposed to take care of me, and help me through the teenage years had abandoned me, leaving me to deal with all her shit! She had left me to struggle with this world I had no clue about! She left me to find it all out on my own! If she hadn't have died I would've had a choice, not thrust into this life, making the same fucking mistakes over and fucking over! Why did she leave me to do things I couldn't do?

"YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Nothing and no-one was on my side anymore – Emmett excluded, but he would choose Rosalie if it came to it – I was alone.

I started throwing everything I could find across the room, diving under the bed and fetching out a box full of important looking stuff and throwing it through the window. If it all broke, then fuck it, just fuck it all! If it didn't, it was mine. Everything else I smashed, not caring what the fuck it was; my mind was a blur, filled with red rage at _Renee, _the whore who had left me to die, but I did remember pocketing a few things, though for the life of me I couldn't have said what they were.

Nothing in the room escaped my anger; photo frames were smashed, the bed was overturned, and I put my foot through the TV screen. There was one thing I had to get rid of though, one memory that would remove the last traces of Renee Swan from the planet – the apartment.

I sprinted down the dark stairs, heading into the grimy kitchen and under the kitchen sink where I knew it would still be. Brian had kept gasoline in case of emergencies, and I'd heard him bitching that he'd forgotten it when we'd stopped on the way to Forks. And there it was, the bright orange canisters – to my luck, there was two, small enough for me to carry. I grabbed a hoodie that was lying on the side – probably one of the Zeiracorp guys – pulling it on and covering my face as well as I could before grabbing the canisters and heading up the stairs. If I was seen, I wouldn't be recognized, and if I wasn't, it would protect my other clothes for when I went back out - if I went back out.

My eyes were fuzzy and hazy, and red still clouded my vision, but I knew this memory would be with me forever. I threw gasoline all over the upstairs rooms; mine, Renee's, Brian's, and the two bathrooms. Hands strangely calm, I pulled a cigarette lighter from my pocket as I stood on the outside of Renee's room, the furthest from the stairs.

"Goodbye, Renee." I whispered, smirking.

And then I dropped the lighter.

The entire room was ablaze within a few moments, and I hightailed it out of there to finish my job before the whole apartment was engulfed. I did the same to the downstairs rooms, using the other canister to cover the entire area, leaving the fire upstairs, which was already spreading down the stairs, to do my job for me.

I would've stayed there to die, I really would, but I had other things to do.

I chose the kitchen window to break and jump out of seeing as though it was at the side, and covered by trees – no-one would see me here. The boards broke easily, and the glass was nothing as I forced my way through, landing on the overgrown grass outside. The box I had thrown was surprisingly intact, so I picked it up after taking the hoodie off and throwing it back into the apartment, which was almost completely ablaze. I walked away onto the street, never looking back.

* * *

I had literally just gotten back into the car when the fire crew sped past, lights blazing and sirens going, heading for 6th avenue.

"Stupid humans." I laughed, grinning down at the battered box on the passenger seat beside me.

"Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me!" I whispered, cackling as I pulled out of my parking space, accelerating hard as I pulled out onto 5th. "Happy 17th birthday!"

* * *

**Yes, Bella's finally snapped and gone kind of insane :/ told you it would be a shock – unless you saw that coming!**

**Review please and tell me what you liked/didn't like, it really does help me you know!**

**Charlie**


	8. Dude, Where's My Family?

**Greetings! Jokes – how are yah? ;)**

**Oh, and I want to know whether I should end the whole plot with this story, or make a new story after this one. Depends whether or not you're bored of it? Let me know! (:**

**So yeah, don't know how long it's been yadayadayada...on with the story**

**Soundtrack: Misery Business - Paramore**

* * *

The numbness and disengagement from my thoughts and feelings didn't last long, unfortunately for me; it was a shame because I was starting to enjoy my freedom from life. I'd only been driving for about 30 minutes when reality worked its way back into my system, and I started beating myself up for my actions, finding something wrong for every single thing I'd done today. It was typical wasn't it? I couldn't even let myself have fun for an hour without finding something to have a go at myself about!

Damn it.

I pulled over to the side of the road, not far out of the main city and rested my head against the steering wheel, closing my eyes tightly and wishing that world would just disappear. What had I done, seriously? I'd never be able to go back to the apartment – well, what was left of it - and search now, even if there was anything that hadn't been destroyed by the fire. Everything belonging to my mom was gone – but I couldn't work out whether or not that was a good or a bad thing. There was only one thing I was certain of.

I'd gone insane.

I was okay now...well, I was pretty sure, anyway. I didn't feel majorly different, and I wasn't detached anymore, but I certainly wasn't feeling normal. For almost an hour I'd been someone else – someone angry, frustrated, and out to get anyone who stood in my way. I didn't ever want to be that person again, but who knew if it would ever come to that? I'm no psychologist; I don't know how the mind snaps and how it's triggered – but I know someone who does...

_All the pain I thought I knew_

_All the thoughts lead back to you _

_Back to what was never said_

_Back and forth inside my head_

_I can't handle this confusion_

_I'm unable; come and take me away..._

My head snapped up as my phone rang extremely loudly by my leg. I looked out of the window in confusion, as the sky was pitch black...great, I'd fallen asleep! Thank fuck for tinted windows, was all I could think. I glanced down at the caller ID quickly and groaned: it was Alice. Now really wasn't the best time for her to ring me and piss me off even further – I didn't want to lose control like that ever again.

"Alice?" I groaned into the phone. "Say what you have to say quickly, because I'm really not in the mood for you to be shrieking at me for things I couldn't care less about and to be honest-"

"Bella where the _hell_ are you?" she yelled down the phone. "You need to meet me, like now! Something's happened! Something awful!" she was nearly sobbing into the phone.

"Whoa, whoa, Alice, calm down!" I said firmly, rubbing my eyes to try and wake up a little more and concentrate on what she was saying. "Now tell me where you are and what the hell's going on."

"I'm at LaGuardia airport going insane! You need to get here as soon as possible otherwise I'm coming to you! And I know you hate my driving, but I'll be doing it in a stolen vehicle!" she sounded hysteric – I'd never heard her like this before, and it was really worrying me.

"Alice, what's going on?" I repeated. "I'll come and get you, I promise; I just need to know what's happening."

"They've gone!" she cried. "Jasper and Edward and Emmett and Rose and Esme and Carlisle! They're gone, Bella! They went into the woods to hunt and they never came back! I would've gone in after them but I had to protect Charlie! I couldn't leave him on his own when there was something out there picking us all off one by one! Oh _Bella _I don't know what happened to them! I can't _see _them anymore! What if they're-?"

"Alice, stop!" I yelled as she started babbling. I felt sick at her words – what had happened to everyone? They knew how to protect themselves better than anyone! "Calm down, okay? I'm on my way – I promise I won't be any more than 15 minutes, alright? Just stay where you are and don't kill anybody." I said grimly.

"I promise, just please hurry up!" she said softly, sounding terrified.

I hung up and stuck the keys in the ignition, relaxing back against the soft leather as the engine started up. The snap of the seatbelt seemed loud in the silent car as I headed off, surprised at where I had ended up. I was just in a back street somewhere off the main city – it was a good job the car was so protected, that was all I could say.

To say it was the city that never slept, this part of town was deserted. It was a good job I knew the place well, or I'd be seriously lost, as it was that part of town that the tourists avoided. I put my foot down, really panicking about Alice and what she might do in this state. She wasn't usually like this – getting worked up about things that happen. According to Carlisle, the last time she'd really lost control was when I'd...well, died. I didn't even want to think about what had happened to the others...

I slammed my foot on the brakes, coming to a screeching halt in the middle of a deserted street. There in the middle of the road was a large group of people stood in a V, watching my car and stood braced.

The shapeshifters. The fucking shapeshifters were standing in the middle of the road, waiting for me to get out of the car.

"Great, just what I needed." I muttered to myself as I undid my seatbelt and climbed out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me. I went and stood in front of the car, the headlights illuminating my shape as I watched them carefully, as they were doing the same to me.

"Nice car!" a youngish voice called from the right hand side. The man in the front, presumably their leader rolled his eyes with a mocking smile on his face. The leader looked so much like Emmett that I really had to make sure that it wasn't him; the only difference being that the leader's hair was dirty blonde, and his eyes – which I could see from here – were a vivid green, unnaturally bright.

"Thanks, kid." I called back, never taking my eyes off the leader.

"You don't look that old yourself." The leader commented, grinning. He walked forward slowly, his hand extended so not to startle me with any sudden movements. I walked forward to meet him, taking his strong, tanned hand in my own small one; his hand swallowed mine! "My, you are a dainty little thing, aren't you?" he laughed.

My eyes narrowed with a mocking smile on my lips. "Why don't you fight me and find out exactly how uhhh..._dainty_ I am?" he grinned as the others laughed behind him.

"You're going to fit in well with us, I can see that already." He laughed. "I'm Jonathon Swan, leader of this pack – probably the largest in America, not that I'm bragging." He laughed. "You must be Isabella, my niece; it's so good to finally meet you." He smiled and I was shocked; I knew that smile – it was identical to my mothers. The grin faded off his face at my startled expression. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. And it's Bella, not Isabella." I said quickly, hastily putting the smile back on my face. "So are you going to introduce me or are we just going to stand here? Because I'm really in a rush to get somewhere – I don't know what'll happen if I'm not there soon." I bit my lip. Would Alice wait, or would she leave, thinking I wasn't coming? I really didn't want to think about what she would do it she thought I wasn't coming...or couldn't come.

"Sure, _Bella_." He put an arm around my shoulder, leading me over to the others, who had taken a more relaxed stance now that they knew I was going to go beserk or try to run them over with my flashy car.

They'd missed that.

"Hey, Bella!" Naomi suddenly appeared on my right, grinning from ear to ear. "I did what you asked, and they did it without a question! I _told _you we look out for our own!" I didn't really know what she was talking about, so I just laughed at her.

"Thanks, cuz." I grinned.

"Bella," Jonathon cut in. "This is Ty, my brother." A man around 40 held a hand out to me, which I took gratefully. He gave me a small wink which made me smile – I was fitting in already, and I hadn't even said anything to them yet! "My kids, Tammy and Joshua." Tammy had red flaming hair and snakebites, whereas Joshua was tall and blonde, with muscles like his father; they both waved, Tammy with a cheeky grin, and Joshua with a sort of serene smile you see on movie stars. "Ty's kids Ash and Casey." Ash was blonde and lanky to match his sister – if they weren't twins I'd be surprised; she nodded elegantly, whilst he rumpled my hair for some reason. "And of course you know our Naomi, Lily's kid." He rumpled her hair to match mine.

"I'm the only one without a sister or brother." She pouted. "Maybe I'll make you my sister." She grinned.

"Don't frighten the poor girl!" Ty laughed.

"And finally this is Lily, my sister." Jonathon smiled, gesturing to the left. I turned away from Naomi to greet the woman and froze in place, probably looking like a deer in headlights.

She was Renee's double.

Seriously, if Jonathon hadn't introduced me to her I would've run down the street screaming 'ghost'. Her reddish brown hair was the same colour as my mothers, and her emerald eyes could've been copied, they were that similar; her body was athletic and slim like Renee's. The only difference was little changes in the shape of the face, and her hair was long like mine, down to her waist, whilst my mother had cut hers short so it didn't bug her.

No-one said anything as I continued to stare, but I heard an intake of breath from someone as a tear slipped down my cheek; but anyone who looked at me would see that I wasn't sad, but full of fear and anger. My body was shaking, and I could feel my lips pulling into a tight, straight line. I couldn't help it. I couldn't have Renee – yet here was her copy, but she belonged to someone else. She was Naomi's mother, not mine. I'd have to die to see mine again.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Joshua whispered, pulling me away by my shoulders and turning me to face my cousins. He knelt down so he was at my height and brushed away the tears. "We didn't mean to upset you; we really didn't realize how alike they must look."

"Whatever." I snapped, pulling away and angrily wiping at my eyes. "Does it even matter?"

"Bella." Jonathon said gently, but firmly.

"What the hell do you want, Swan?" I snapped, squaring up to someone who was much, much bigger than me. Did it matter? I did it all the time. I'd survived a three-wolf attack, I'd survived everything! "Because I'm already sick of you, man! I don't need all this family shit! I've lasted long enough on my own, haven't I? Where the fuck where you then, huh? Where were you when you when I needed you most, huh?" I shoved past him, only to be grabbed by the arm by Naomi, who looked shocked almost to the point of tears.

"Bella you can't leave! We have things to tell you!" I sighed, feeling bad for the poor girl. She didn't look like she could hurt a fly – though I bet she could hurt much, _much _worse than a fly – and here I was, trying to pick a fight with her family.

"I'll meet with you soon, but I really need to get to Alice!" how long had I delayed? "She's my priority at the moment. But I promise I'll meet up with you as soon as she's safe."

"Where?" Jonathon asked, seemingly unfazed by my attitude.

"I don't know." I said coldly. "Where do you want to meet me?"

"We'll come and find you." Ty said finally, staring his brother down with a look that said 'I'll handle this'. "We'll track you, and then tell you what you need to know, and what's going to happen next. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, that's fine. But I should warn you beforehand, you know, so you don't kill her: Alice is a vampire." There were a lot of shocked gasps, mainly from my cousins, but my uncles held their ground – I was studiously ignoring my aunt.

"I see." Jonathon said slowly. "Well as long as she won't try to attack any of us, then we won't harm her in any way. We'll just have to explain to the others about your friends, ahh, condition." He quirked an eyebrow.

"Thanks, man."

"Call me Uncle John." He winked.

"Cheers then, Uncle John." I half-smiled, still not really into all the family stuff. I'd never really had a family before (excluding the Cullen's), and having all these relatives was really quite new to me. "And I'll meet you later, once I've found Alice and made sure that she's alright."

He nodded once, stepping back and allowing me to head to my car. "Hey, Bella!" Tammy called. I turned back to her and inclined my head, gesturing for her to speak. "When you get back, you're coming out running with me. None of these other losers can go for as long as I can, or run as fast as me." she grinned, ignoring the glares she was getting. "And by the looks of things, and what Naomi told us about you, you're a good athlete."

"My record is 100 metres in 15 seconds, and I can run for about an hour without stopping." I grinned. Yeah, I couldn't really go out for track in school unless I wanted to be named as some sort of sporting legend. Were there even any 'professional' athletes that could do that? Probably not – it helped when you had 'shifter blood in your veins.

"Sweet! You and I are definitely heading out soon!"

"I'll hold you to it." I winked, jogging back to the car. When I turned back around again, they'd gone, leaving me stood outside me car door in the balmy summer air. But I had other things to be worrying about – the shapeshifters weren't a problem anymore.

Alice. Alice needed me.

* * *

The airport was still kind of crowded when I finally got there around 10 minutes later. There were cars backed up for ages on the drop off point, and I only just managed to steal a gap that was left. I didn't need to go inside – Alice would hopefully have seen me coming and gone outside to meet me.

I climbed out of the car anyway, striding onto the pavement and looking around the front of the terminal for Alice. I didn't have to look long. She was sat on a bench right in front of the building, but jumped up and came running over as fast as she could without causing attention to me as soon as she spotted me.

"Oh Bella!" she cried, sobbing as I pulled her in for a hug. I'd forgotten exactly how small she was – only my height, but I was used to people being much taller than me. She seemed to slight under my arms that I thought she might break. "I'm sorry!" she moaned into my shoulder, her sobs shaking her slight frame. "I should've known something was going to happen! If I'd been more careful and watched their futures a little closer, nothing would've happened! I could've warned them!"

"Alice, stop, it's not your fault!" I pulled her back by the shoulders, looking into her big, bambi, amber eyes. "Alice, when did they go missing? I only spoke to Emmett on the phone yesterday morning!"

"Just after that." She sniffed. "They went out hunting and never came back! I _knew _it was a bad idea going out into those woods, but I just didn't know why."

"We're going to need help to find them, Alice, and I can only think of one group of people who can help us do that. Believe me, I won't stop until I find them, but we can't do this alone. Alice?"

"Yes?"

"How opposed are you to shapeshifters?"

* * *

"This is insane." She muttered under her breath for about the 15th time this car journey. "This is absolutely insane. They're going to kill me, you know, just for being in their presence. But I won't let them kill me – oh no, no-one messes with me, especially when there's a chance that Jazzy might still be alive-" I was actually worrying about her separation from Jasper. I hadn't realized how close they were before, but she seemed utterly incapable of coping without him!

"Alice!" I hissed, trying to keep my focus on the road. "Will you shut up? They won't kill you; I already explained to them what you are! And we have to go to them, otherwise we won't find the others, okay?"

"Yeah, I understand." She sighed. "What I don't understand is why you trust them. I mean, I know they're your family, but you've only known them for 5 minutes! And what if they won't help us, Bella? What are we supposed to do then?"

I looked over at her, slumped down on the seat with her gaze fixed dejectedly on me. Why did I always have be the grown up, mature leader instead of just taking orders? Why did I have to be the one reassuring instead of the one getting reassured? Oh yeah, because it wasn't 'who I was'. Bullshit. "Alice, if they won't help us, then we'll go after them ourselves." I snapped, causing her eyes to widen in alarm. "Now for fucks sake, girl, sit up and look like you mean business, or those 'shifters will eat you alive, do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am – I mean Bella." She laughed. "Now I see why you're such a bigwig at that company you work for, and why everyone listens to you. You're really scary!"

"Thanks." I laughed, but suddenly came to an abrupt halt. The 'shifters were there again, back where I had met them before – that's where I had driven to, deciding that Alice and I could track them down if they weren't here waiting for us. "Come on; but stick close to me, and don't make any wolf jokes."

She just rolled her eyes at me. "In case you've forgotten, _that's _your big brother's habit." We climbed out of the car, standing in front of it as I had done when I'd first met them only an hour ago. "Jonathon, Alice. Alice, this is my Uncle Jonathon, leader of the largest 'shifter pack in America." Both Alice and Jonathon walked forward slowly, eyeing each other up as dominant members of different species. I saw both of their eyes narrow to slits as they appraised each other, taking the other in.

"Alice Cullen, am I correct?" Jonathon finally asked, holding a polite hand out to her. "I'm Jonathon Swan, leader of this pack. I'm assuming you're here asking for help."

"Huh, and I'm supposed to be the psychic one." She teased. "Yes, we need help finding our family, the rest of the Cullen's, including your nephew, Emmett." Jonathon's nostrils flared, and there was a lot of growling from the pack, which had grown considerably.

"Emmett's a vampire?" he snarled.

"Yes." I hissed. "He's a vampire, is that a problem?" everyone was staring at me in shock – I was shocked at myself. Did I actually just hiss like an animal? Ty was the only one who looked pleased, to be honest.

"No, we'll deal with it, as we will with Alice." He said in his calm, serene way. "And Emmett is one of us by blood, so of course we will help you to set him free."

"Thank you." Alice and I both sighed at the same time. I didn't know how we were going to go after them if the Swan's didn't agree to help us look. I let my eyes close, leaning my head back against the edge of my car.

"We'll help you." Jonathon continued. "On the condition that you join us permanently, Bella."

My eyes opened with a snap.

* * *

**I hope you weren't expecting that – I wanted it to be something different! So the Cullen's have gone missing, and Alice is the only one who's left. This chapter is kind of rushed and doesn't explain a lot – but don't worry, there'll be a special Alice's flashback chapter almost entirely from her POV, okay?**

**Special shout out if you can guess who I based Ash Swan on ;) I wonder if anyone'll get it – it really isn't that hard if you read a lot!**

**Thanks for reading...now time to review (: (: (:**

**Charlie**


	9. Meet The Swan's

**Soundtrack: The Art of Breaking – Thousand Foot Krutch**

"Excuse me?" I smiled cruelly, staring so hard at them that a few of the guys at the back that I didn't know actually flinched under my gaze. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you trying to blackmail me?" I was dead calm, which probably made me more fucking scary. There were certainly some uneasy looks from some of the pack members that I hadn't met yet and hadn't witnessed my temper. "And as for the help finding the Cullen's, how can I be sure you'll stick to your word? I mean, I don't exactly know you well!" I cackled.

"We always keep our word!" Ty hissed, stepping forward and glaring not at me, but at Alice. I could see the reluctant fear there was in his eyes though – only true werewolves could take on vampires, I knew that much; shapeshifters weren't 'born' to tackle vampires the way real werewolves were, and he was wary of the pixie girl standing beside me, even though I was the one who was more likely to do him some serious damage. "Of course you wouldn't understand that, because you aren't one of us – at least not yet. Take this opportunity, Bella, and I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to find your family – our family, in Emmett's case."

I was torn. Did I accept, and join my true family instead of just claiming the Cullen's my own, hoping they would help me with what I wanted? Or did I decline, stumbling blindly over Washington to try and find people who might be long dead?

_Well when you put it that way..._

"I'll join you." I said firmly, ignoring Alice's horrified face. "But if you go back on your word I'm going to get seriously pissed – and you haven't seen me seriously pissed yet, before was nothing. And I don't care what the hell you turn into – nothing will stop me from ripping your heads off if you betray me, family or not. Is that understood? Oh, and treat me like some stupid little kid and I'm likely to get pissed as well." I warned. I sounded like a pathetic whiny bitch, but they had to understand. My temper was on a very short fuse, and I tended to dumb shit when I got majorly angry with something or someone. I didn't want to take the chance that I might hurt someone if they simply looked at me the wrong way – it had happened before.

"We understand." Jonathon said slowly, after a brief look over the others, who didn't show any signs of disagreement. "But we don't tolerate any unjust violence. Do _you _understand?"

"I understand." I said firmly. I finally turned to Alice, who looked absolutely livid. "What is it? We're going to find your family, and you'll get your husband back – I didn't think there would be a problem with that." I quirked an eyebrow at her. There were a few murmurs at the word husband, but we both ignored it. I just wanted to know what her problem was, and I told her so.

"What's my problem?" she shrieked. I waved the 'shifters away, the ones who had started to walk over when she started shrieking, thinking she was going to pummel me or something. "My problem is that you're joining this pack when a), you aren't a shapeshifter, and b) you're only doing it to get something out of it! Bella, do you have any idea what you're committing yourself to? Jasper will be fine, he can handle himself – you, however, cannot handle yourself against a bunch of stronger, faster shapeshifters that you have no idea you can trust!" there were a lot of low growls, and I whipped my head to the side where they were stood. Alice was being extremely annoying at the minute, but I didn't want her to get hurt – there were a lot of people against her.

"Anyone who isn't a Swan needs to go – she's right, I don't trust the others." Reluctantly, after a moment the people at the back disappeared, leaving only the Swan's, the ones I had met earlier, behind. "Now, Alice. You've insulted me." my eyes narrowed to slits, and I saw her eyes widen; I was already becoming someone completely different – and I didn't know if this different person was human or not. "And I'm half shapeshifter, because my mom was one, understood? And as for Jasper defending himself – you weren't so sure of that earlier; you thought he was dead, remember?"

"I don't want you to risk your life!" she yelled, but I knew that I had already won this argument. "I promised Edward a long, long time ago that I would keep you safe, and I'm sticking to it. And maybe, just maybe, I don't want to see my sister die for the second time in less than three months." There were a few hisses of shock and outrage at that last statement. She glared at me venomously. _If looks could kill. _

I didn't answer, settling for resting my hands on her shoulders and giving her a determined look. This was my choice, but for all the wrong reasons, which she had been right about. Sure, I wanted to join the pack to find the Cullen's and ultimately Edward, but I also wanted in for a different reason. Renee. She had wanted out, so I wanted in, as a last slap in the face to her. I'd already screamed at the top of my lungs and burnt down her apartment – betraying her one wish for me seemed like a good idea.

Like I said, I still wasn't back to my usual self.

"So, when are we going to begin the search?" I asked. Ash yelled and punched the air, rushing forward to grab me in a bear hug. My other cousins crowded around me, warily standing near Alice, but making sure she was a certain distance away. "Ash...can't breathe!" I choked out. The boy was _strong! _He was like a blonde version of Emmett.

"You're making the right choice, Bella." Jonathon said serenely, putting his hands on his daughter's shoulders. I didn't see Naomi, but I figured she must have stayed behind with Lily, who I still didn't want to see. "We'll protect you until the end, but it won't be easy. We go through vigorous training, and the sort of missions we go on will be...a bit different from the ones Naomi was telling us you go on at that company you work for." His smile turned into a concerned frown. If he was wearing it because he thought I couldn't keep up because I was a full blooded 'shifter, then he could kiss my ass. I had never failed a training session, and I wasn't about to start yet.

"I'm ready." I said boldly, formally saluting Jonathon and Ty like I had been taught what seemed like a lifetime ago. Could it have only been a year and half since my world turned upside down, and I became the fierce, cold, cruel Bella Swan that I was today? I felt a hundred years older than 17 that was for sure.

I walked over to where Alice was stood and grasped her hands tightly in mine. The poor girl looked on the verge of tears, and I didn't blame her. She must be going through hell. Losing all her family and placing all the blame on herself, then having to watch her sister practically sell her soul to get help to find said lost family. I'd never really thought about how bad Alice must feel about everything until now. "We'll find them, Alice, don't worry about that. And when we do," I sighed, wondering how she was going to take what I was about to tell her. "I'll put you in charge of planning mine and Edward's wedding."

A huge smile broke across her face as gasps of surprise were heard all around us – great, people other than Charlie that I had to convince that Edward wasn't a bad guy. "You've chosen?" she whispered. "I didn't see – I was too busy focusing on the others!" She looked happy for the first time since I had picked her up since the airport. "I can't believe it! I knew you'd make the right choice!" she squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. "He loves you more than you'll ever know." She whispered in my ear, low enough that I'd be the only one who could hear it.

"I know. And I have made the right choice – he really is the only one for me, I'll admit it." and I really hadn't meant anything more.

* * *

"Hey, Bella! You ready to go or what?" Tammy yelled from the doorway.

I turned away from Casey and Joshua, who had been asking me about my life before I'd come to Washington. They seemed really interested in hearing about their aunt, Renee, who they'd only met a few times but remembered to wild and fun. It kind sucked to be talking about her after everything that had happened, but they were good people. "I'll be there in a minute, Tammy!" I called to her. "Anyway, my step-father and his girlfriend both died when we got to Forks – Caroline in a car crash (she smashed into me after being drugged) and Brian was tortured and killed by a vampire and some werewolves."

"Whoa." Joshua breathed as I stood up. "You've had it pretty rough, Bella."

"Yeah, but at least you met up with us, and now you're one of us." Casey winked. "But your friend isn't so happy." She glanced at Alice, who was sat on a comforter on the other side of the room, head in hands and trying desperately to find the future that she just couldn't see. She hadn't spoken for hours now, but I didn't want to interrupt her in case she saw something important. Everyone gave her a wide berth. "Is she going to stay for good?" she asked in a whisper. There was no point, Alice wasn't listening, anyway.

"She'll stay until we find the others, and then she'll leave with them." I said finally. I knew what they were thinking – they wanted to know if I'd be going with her, or keeping to my word and being a part of the pack forever. I didn't know the answer myself. "But I need to go; I promised Tammy that I'd go out for a run with her – God knows where she plans to go, though."

I left the room briskly, ignoring some of the glares I was getting from the pack members that weren't Swan's. Because of my time as a spy, Jonathon wanted me to work with him to make key decisions for the pack, and a lot of people weren't happy about that. They just saw me as some stupid little kid who had no idea what she was doing; they thought Jonathon had only chosen me because I was an unfortunate kid, and because I was fresh blood.

Fuckers.

We were in a few houses that had been abandoned on the west side of the city. We'd only been there for 24 hours, but already there was talk of leaving to head up north somewhere. I was in full agreement – I needed out of New York City. Whether it was the crimes and all the killings that had happened whilst I was last here, or just the jittery feeling of being somewhere I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't stand to be here any longer. The nostalgic feeling was back – I needed to go back to Washington to start looking for everyone as soon as possible.

Patiently, Tammy stood at the edge of the closest alleyway, and I wondered what she had in mind. She wanted me to go out running with her, but honestly, I didn't see how we could do that without attracting unwanted attention...

Oh whatever!

"'Bout time you got here." She laughed when I got to her. "But whatever, I'm just glad I got someone decent to come out running with me! The rest of them are either complete jackasses, can't be bothered, or are too busy to come out with me." she sighed. A killer smile swept across her face. "Not that many people can actually keep up with me, 'cept maybe Naomi on a good day. I'm hoping you'll be different."

"Why don't we find out?" I grinned, starting to run down the dark, bleak alleyway. I'd basically been nocturnal since I'd come back from Alaska, finding things to do in the night instead of the day. But to be honest, I preferred it. I was changing, and there was nothing I could do to either stop it or slow it down. Somewhere along the line, I was going to be majorly screwed.

"Good pace." She commented after about 5 minutes of running. I just nodded at her, not wasting any oxygen. I was a good runner, better than anyone I had ever met – except the vampires of course - but I didn't know how long Tammy could go for. I found myself wanting to fit in with my family really, really badly, and if keeping pace with Tammy helped me to fit in, then so be it.

I sprinted as fast as I could possibly go when she started to pick up the pace – it was my preferred style of running, anyway. Gym coaches and trainers will all say that the best thing to do is keep a slowish, steady pace, and you'll go for longer; I say different. I run as fast as I can go, letting the adrenaline course through me and keep me going for as long as possible. I loved the feeling of the warm, summer air turning cool on my skin as I burnt up, letting it cool me down and whip my hair behind me as I ran.

"Fucking hell, Bella!" Tammy yelled at me, catching up and sprinting beside me. "And I thought I was the best!" she cackled. I just grinned at her and carried on, feeling lighter than the wind as I ran as fast as I could.

If anyone tried to tell me I didn't belong now, they were dead wrong.

* * *

When we got back – totally sweaty and disgusting, finally out of breath after an hour's extreme running, and extremely dishevelled – Ash and Jonathon were waiting for us outside one of the houses, armed folded, and looking more like father and son than nephew and uncle. My laughing stopped when I looked at them properly, though – both of them looked kind of worried and concerned about something.

"Tammy," Jonathon said reproachfully. "Bella's only just got here; I don't think you should push her into training with you just yet, sweetheart. Give her a little more time." He shook his head at her. "Besides, we need to find out where she needs improvement." I ignored that part.

"But dad, she's a natural! She's the only one who can keep up with me! Hell, at one point _I _had to run after _her!_" she whined. Of course, being daddy's little princess, she got her own way. He just nodded and gestured for her to go inside, which she did without another word.

"What's the problem, guys?" I asked suspiciously when Tammy had gone. They both just shrugged their shoulder in perfect sync.

"We were just talking about what you asked of us – finding Alice's family." Ash said slowly. "We're going to head up to Washington tomorrow, but you and Alice can go separately – the rest of us will, ahh, use a different way to get there." He broke off awkwardly. I took what he said to be something to do with the pack that I wasn't involved with yet.

"Is that alright with you?" Jonathon cut in when Ash jogged into the house. "We'll start the search – including you – as soon as we get there. As soon as we find them, the sooner we can leave and get back to training you. Though I have to admit, running in the Washington forests really is something." He sighed with a smile. "I've never been before – it really was exhilarating." He shook his head with a grin.

"That plan sounds perfect to me – the sooner we find them the better. I'm just hoping nothing _too _bad has happened to them." I bit my lip, turning away from him. I hadn't even thought about what might have happened to Edward and the others; it was just too painful. I hadn't allowed myself to think about it, knowing that if I did, I'd be on the first plane back to Washington and in those forests without a glance behind me.

That never worked – I knew.

"We'll do everything we can."

"I know – and I really appreciate it."

"What else are family for?" he said simply, turning to head back into the house. He was just at the door when I called after him.

"Hey, Uncle Jon!" I called after him. "What do you turn into?"

"A puma" He smiled. "Ash is a lion." Huh, Jessica had been right. I wonder what she would've said if I told her that the lion roaming around in the trees was my cousin. "Lily's a fox, the best at sneaking and close-up tracking; Ty's a panther; Casey and Joshua are both white tigers; Tammy and Naomi are cheetahs, obviously the fastest, and the rest of the pack are various birds and mammals." He smiled.

"Huh, the Swan's are big on turning into wildcats." I just couldn't picture that polite, civilized man in front of me turning into a puma, no matter what. And Ash! Ash, who didn't seem to be able to calculate 2 plus 2, turning into a lion! Fuck...

"That's just who we are – Lily's the only exception, but I'm glad we have her; she's very good at what she does."

"Is there any chance that I can change?" I asked awkwardly. I wanted to be one of them, to run in the forest as fast as I could – but not as a human being. I wanted to turn into a sleek, graceful animal that could take on anything, and to really be part of my family, not just because of my name. But could I if I was already 16 – fuck, I'm 17 – and had never changed before?

He smiled kindly, walking towards me and tilting my chin up so that I was facing him. "I think that with the right training, and the proper attitude, yes, you can change." He stepped back and scrutinized me. "Though I can't think for the life of me what you're going to be!" he laughed. "Sneaky, like Lily; understanding, like me-"

"What makes you think I'm understanding?" I interrupted. "I'm a total bitch!"

He laughed. "Maybe, but you accepted us for what we are – that makes you understanding." He smiled. "Anyway, you're headstrong, like Ash; refined, like Casey and Joshua; bold, like Ty, and extremely fast like Tammy and Naomi. You could be anything!"

I breathed out. "At least there's a chance that I _can _change." I smiled.

He kissed my forehead gently. "Renee was an amazing sister, younger than the rest of us, but still amazing and exceptionally strong and wise and beautiful, like you. She made her choice, and you've made the opposite choice, but I know she would've been exceptionally proud of you." I felt tears in my eyes at his words, but he didn't say anything more. He headed back into the house, leaving me stood on the porch.

I was just about to head inside when I saw movement to the left of me, just at the mouth of the alley. It was Alice. Her back was to me, and she was leaning against the wall heavily, her forehead pressed tightly against the wall.

I headed over, touching her back gently and bringing her back to the present. She must've been working so hard on finding the future. "Hey, Alice, are you okay?" She turned, and she really didn't look okay. "Fuck," I breathed. "What did you see – or not see?"

She inhaled deeply, looking towards the sky and exhaling. She looked like she needed a good night's sleep – impossible, I know, but the poor girl looked exhausted. "I haven't seen anything, but it might be a good thing."

"Why's that?"

"Because I can't see our future, either." She sighed. "I'm beginning to think that there's something wrong with me."

"It doesn't matter Alice – we're heading to Washington tomorrow, and we're going to start a search as soon as we get there, okay?"

"Good." She smiled.

"We'll find them, I promise you." She didn't answer, staring up at the deep navy blue sky again.

"Alice," I said slowly, something she said finally dawning on me. "You said you didn't want to leave Charlie unprotected – where is he?" depressed or not, if she had left my father alone in Forks I was going to kill her.

"I gave him my car and told him to go to a hotel far away. He'll either go back home after 3 days, or I'll go to him first – that's what I told him to do." She sighed. "Fuck, Bella, this is a nightmare! Everything that's happened, and is happening, just feels like some shitty nightmare!" she cried.

"Alice, tell me." I said softly. "I need to know everything. What happened before they went missing, how you knew something was wrong, and what you did when you found out something was wrong." I only had the facts – I needed to know the whole story. Something relevant could've happened before they went missing that she just hadn't realized.

"Everything?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes, Alice, everything."

"Alright." She said after a moment. "I'll start from when we got back from Alaska..."

* * *

**Yes, next chapter will be a special flashback in Alice's POV. Usually I hate changing the characters POV, because I think it's just pointless, you know? But the next chapter is going to be important – explaining some things that happened in Alaska, and showing what happened to Alice and Charlie.**

**But anyway, sorry if this chapter wasn't great – major *whispers* writers block! But yeah, let me know what you thought, anyway (:**

**Charlie**


	10. Continue

**Hey – this might seem melodramatic, but should I even bother continuing with this story? :/**

**So I went on my stats, and it said that I've had no viewers for the past three chapters, but that's impossible seeing as though I had reviews! But yeah, I don't even know if people read it or not, because fanfiction won't tell me!**

**So should I carry on with My Vampire Apocalypse? **

**So confused!**

**Charlie**


	11. Continuing Part 2

...Continuing (:


	12. Alice's Story

**Fuck, how awesome? Two chapters in two days ;) I just wrote and wrote tonight to get this chapter up – I wanted to make this one a good one because Alice needs to have a good story.**

**Read and review please (:**

**Charlie**

**Soundtrack: Where Will You Go – Evanescence **

* * *

"Bye, Bells, and happy birthday!" Emmett hung up the phone with a grim look on his face. Shaking his head at Charlie as he put his phone back in his jeans pocket.

"Why didn't I realize how bad Bella actually was?" Charlie muttered under his breath, putting his head in hands and stifling a sob he'd been keeping in ever since he found the note saying she had left for New York – we all knew that it was a potential goodbye note; there was always a huge chance that Bella just wasn't coming home.

I'd had the idea to call Bella's boss, Catherine, about her whereabouts, but she had no idea. All Catherine had to say was that she hadn't seen Bella in a few days, as she'd missed coming into work when she said she would. If she'd gone to New York, it was the first she'd heard about it. Catherine had gotten in touch with the offices there to find out if she'd called in – a big no. So Emmett had tried her mobile half-heartedly, surprising us all when she actually picked up.

She had been distracted, I could hear it in her voice; we didn't need Jasper to tell us that. The most shocking thing was that she actually hadn't remembered it was her 17th birthday! Granted, it wasn't exceptionally an important birthday, but she should've at least _remembered! _I felt awful for letting her come back to Forks without anyone – I knew from visions that Bella wasn't going to last long before she snapped, mentally. It was the reason we said we couldn't trust her in Alaska – of course, she didn't know that.

"How the fuck are we supposed to help her?" Edward paced the living room, running his hands through his already dishevelled hair. "I don't know what to do! I'd do anything for her – but she never tells me anything! Fuck, Alice, when do you think she's going to do something? She won't harm herself, will she? Dammit, I'll _kill _myself if she gets hurt..." he looked at me with wild eyes, desperate for answers about the girl he loved. What would he do if something did happen; or if by stupid circumstances, she chose Caleb instead of my adoring brother?

_Fucking Caleb!_

"Edward." I soothed. "That's not who she is! She was depressed before, and she never even _thought _about harming herself, I should know! She just doesn't work that way. The worst she'll do is kill someone else, or destroy something – that's just the person she is." Something told me he didn't believe me, but I let it go. I could only imagine that agony he must be going through not knowing Bella's exact whereabouts and what was going to happen to her. I know I'd be exactly the same if it were Jasper, so I couldn't fault him at all.

"I should've kept a better eye on her!" Charlie scoffed. "If I had sat her down and talked to her properly about what was going on, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Dad," Emmett came back to life, moving away from the family portrait on the wall which he had been staring at whilst I was talking to Edward. "You have to tell us exactly what she said." He sat on the chair at the table next to his father, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Charlie sighed before speaking. "She came in and said that there was a problem at work, and that she'd fallen out with Edward." Edward flinched. "He said that he'd said some things, and that she'd done some things." He raised a questioning eyebrow, but continued when nobody said anything. We weren't going to embarrass Bella or hurt Edward by bringing up the kiss with Caleb. I tried my best to keep it from my thoughts. "She said she didn't want to talk about it, and that she'd been up since 11AM the previous day and really needed sleep. I _tried _to tell her that it was stupid of her to drive home, but she just said she was fine and headed up to bed." He groaned, putting his head back in his head back in hands again. "My baby could be dead on the streets of New York, and it will be all my fault!" he started to cry, and I could tell Emmett had no idea how to handle it – it had been the same when she had 'died' the first time. "I can't see her die again, I can't!"

"It'll be okay, Charlie." I ran over and put an arm around him. "She can handle herself – and she would never harm herself, I know it! We'll either go to New York and find her, or we'll wait for her to come back here, all smiles, and bitching about traffic or some woman in a store." I joked. I saw a smile start to light up his face, and I left him with comforting words from Emmett.

I ran after my brother, who I knew had gone up to Bella's room. He was sat on her black bed, holding in one hand her silver flick knife, and in the other her favourite Alexisonfire t-shirt his gaze flickering one from to the other. "How you holding up?" I asked stupidly. Usually, I always had something to say! But not now – I wasn't the one he wanted. He wanted, no, needed, Bella here with him. No vision could tell me how long he was going to last without her. They were soulmates!

"As well as I can." He said roughly. I sat on the bed beside him, taking the knife from his hand and leaving him with the shirt – the shirt that I _definitely _did not pick out. "She'd kill you if you even tried to get rid of this." He smiled, touching the soft material as thought it were diamonds. "Call me corny, but this is Bella's; it's worth diamonds to me." he smiled sadly, looking up at me for once. "Alice, can I ask you something?"

"Of-" I broke off mid-sentence, completely freezing as something cold washed over me, stopping me in my tracks.

"Alice!" he hissed, getting on the floor on his knees and shaking me – I know he was doing that now, but at the time, my mind was fixed on someone else; someone who I couldn't see anymore. "What's happening!" he yelled.

"Jasper." Was all I could choke out. Edward swung me up into his arms easily but I could see anymore; everything was black, and there was no future for Jasper, Esme, Carlisle and Rosalie, who had all gone out into the woods to hunt just before Emmett had called Bella. There was nothing for them; I remembered seeing Jasper running through the woods, and then...complete darkness. I couldn't see a thing! I was so scared! What was happening to Jasper and the rest of my family whilst I was here useless?

"Alice!" Emmett shouted when Edward burst into the living room with me only a second later. I came out of my trance, seeing my surroundings at last. I had been put on the sofa, with Emmett stood at my side, Edward crouched by my side, and Charlie stood close to me, all with scared and confused looks on their faces – even Edward thought it might have something to with something happening to Bella, even though I told him it was Jasper.

Jasper...hurt...gone...lost.

_Jasper!_

I tried to jump up off the sofa and sprint into the woods, but three sets of arms held me down. Why wouldn't they let me go! I wanted to scream, and cry, and complain, but I couldn't! Everything was numb – so numb.

"Alice!" Emmett said firmly. "You have to tell us what's going on, sweetheart! We can't do anything to help anybody if we don't know what's going on!" he was scared, I could see that much, and I did my best not to be selfish; he was about to go through the same thing as me. My thoughts were all jumbled, Edward couldn't make any sense out of them.

"Jasper, Rose, Carlisle and Esme!" I cried. "I can't see them anymore! They just...disappeared. One minute I could tell they were running through the woods heading for the deepest part, and the next second everything was black! Oh God, what if they're-"

"Don't say it, Alice." Edward said grimly. Emmett's face was set in stone. No-one messed with his wife – ever. "We'll go after them and find out what's going on. You stay here and make sure Charlie's safe, just in case there's something out there! If we don't come back, go away! Go somewhere far away!" he said the last part as he went out of the door, not caring who saw as they both ran into the forest, searching for my missing family.

Charlie was in shock, his face pale and his hands trembling. "What the hell is going on?" he said more to himself. "Bella going insane, the Cullen's disappearing..."

"Emmett told you about Bella?" I sniffed, wanting to distract myself partly. Emmett and Edward were clear in my head, running determinedly through the woods, searching for tracks and scents as thoroughly as they could. "I told him not too – it would just upset you." I folded myself into the dining chair, pulling my legs underneath me and resting my head on my knees. "Don't die on me, please Jazzy. I need you." I whispered to myself so that Charlie wouldn't hear. It didn't matter anyway – he was too engrossed of the possible fates of his daughter.

"He told me that it was highly likely she was going to have a mental breakdown." He whispered. "He said that you'd seen that she was going to snap – and snap soon. I wish I could do more for her, but I barely know her." He laughed darkly. "It's my own fault for not having anything to do with her for 11 years, and then not being as close to her as I could when I finally got her back." He sooked his head and turned away – I knew that he was crying. Nothing I could say or do would change his mind, so I reluctantly left him to his sorrows, I could only imagine what Bella, the light in everyone's life, would say if she were here...

"_Jeez, dad! I mean it aint exactly your fault, is it?" she'd laugh and speak in her New Yorker accent. "I love you, man! Besides, you haven't had 11 years to bug me and make us both hate each other!" that was Bella, laughing, joking, always the one you wanted to be best friends with..._

I screamed.

I screamed and screamed and screamed.

Charlie braced me and comforted me as I screamed.

I screamed.

Edward and Emmett were gone.

"ALICE!" he yelled, trying to snap me out of it, but I know now that I was in hysterics, and couldn't be stopped. He must've yelled at me for at least five minutes, keeping me tight in his weak human arms. I found comfort in him, like a father, I remember that now. But all I could do was scream and sob.

I'd failed again.

"Alice." He said softly when my screams turned to sobs and my sobs turned to sniffles. "They're gone, aren't they?" he whispered. Good, I wouldn't have to talk about it. "Come on, get up." He pulled me up slowly and set me on wobbly legs. How could I have let this happen? I had let them slip through my fingers! "Alice, we have to leave." I snapped back to reality and really saw Charlie for the first time.

"What?" I whispered.

"Alice." He put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed gently. "You heard what Edward said – if something happens to them and they don't come back, then we have to go far away, do you understand?"

"I understand." Taking control of myself again and grabbing my keys and purse from the mantelpiece. I'd stopped off at home to grab my car when we'd gotten back from Alaska, because I wanted to take Bella out for some retail therapy and a well-deserved boy talk. "We need to go now – pack quickly." But he was already gone. "I'll wait for you in the car!" I yelled.

I kept my eyes and mind alert as I walked out to my Porsche that was parked in the shadow of Bella's giant Jeep. How she managed to drive that thing I would never know. I drummed my fingers impatiently against the steering wheel, trying to alternate between keeping an eye on the house and what Charlie was doing, and looking for anything moving in the woods.

Fuck, those reservation mutts had better get started on whatever was out there – I was stuck with bodyguard duty.

As if on cue, Charlie ran out of the house, locking it firmly behind him with a duffel bag on his shoulder. He did the same as me, scouting the area as he ran to the car and flung open the door, throwing the bag on the back seat. He was a good cop, one of the few.

"Where as we going to go?" he asked suspiciously as I gunned the engine and reversed, tires squealing on the tarmac.

"New York city – we need Bella's help now more than ever."

* * *

It was around 2 in the morning when I pulled up outside the last known address Emmett had for Renee and Bella. Charlie had had the smart idea to take one of the letters he had received from them from Emmett's bedroom. I had parked on the opposite side of the road, away from the police and all the tape and reporters.

The house was blacked and just pure rubble.

Charlie woke with a start as if from a bad dream. He looked around him in confusion before realization dawned on his face. I never took my eyes off of the ruined house, the place where Bella had spent a lot of her time, with both good and bad memories. A time when she was a different person, someone young and carefree, with an erratic mother and no worries on her mind. A time when she didn't have to worry about death, shapeshifters, vampires and the cruelty of life.

She had burned her former safe haven to the ground.

There was no doubt in my mind that Bella had done this; I had failed her, too. I hadn't gotten to her in time before she did something that she would regret forever. I just wasn't fast, smart, or brave enough to stop all the bad things that were happening to me at the minute.

Bella's future was blurry.

Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Edward, Carlisle and Esme's futures had all disappeared along with them, and I had no way to tell if they were dead or alive.

And Charlie looked as though he was going to throw up.

"Bella did this?" he choked, staring at the still smoking building in disbelief. He turned to me with eyes full of questions. "Why? Why would she do something like this?" comprehension dawned on his face, and he turned deathly pale. "She finally snapped." He whispered. I nodded slowly, taking my eyes off of the house. There were a few Zeiracorp employees milling around in plain clothes, but I couldn't remember if they knew who Charlie and I were.

"You need to get out of here." I as gently to Charlie as I possibly could. He didn't need to get any more involved with the -supernatural – and from what I could see through Bella's blurry vision, she was going to meet her family soon.

"No." He said firmly as I drove away from the house. His gaze didn't leave it until long after I'd passed it. "I'm staying with you, Alice, and don't give me the excuse that I'm just a human." He snapped. "I can handle whatever's going on."

"Can you?" I asked coolly. "Can you handle the fact that your wife was a shapeshifter?" he gulped. He hadn't known that. "Can you handle the fact that your daughter is going to meet her family alone? Can you handle the fact that in a fit of rage, she burnt down her family home? Can you handle the fact that she is emotionally unstable at the moment, and might lash out at any moment? Can you handle the fact that at the moment, your daughter isn't your daughter at all?" he glared at me, and for a moment I actually thought he was going to hit me – he certainly thought about it. but Charlie was a gentleman.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But I want to hear from you as soon as everything's sorted."

We didn't speak again until I pulled up in front of LaGuardia airport, and puzzlement was clear on his face. "Edward told us to leave – what good will it do just sending me home?"

"I'm not sending you home." I said patiently, switching off the engine. "I'm telling you to take the car and drive for as long as you possibly can until you need to stop. Then find a motel. Just make sure it's far away from here, and that you don't use your realy name, understood?" he nodded his head reluctantly. "Good."

"Wait, wait, wait! What are _you _going to do whilst I'm driving around aimlessly?"

"I'm going to call Bella to meet me, and then I'm going to tell her what's going on. If she won't meet me, I'll track her down. If she won't listen to me, then I'll knock her out and tie her up somewhere until she will listen to me." He inhaled sharply, but didn't comment any further.

"Be careful, Alice." He hugged me tightly.

"I will. And if you don't hear from me 3 days, if I don't call or come to find you, then go home. There shouldn't be any threat to you – yesterday was just a precaution."

"I understand." He said firmly. I smiled at him one last time before going to sit on a bench in front of the airport, taking a shuddering breath and waving shakily as Charlie drove off to God-knows where.

Hands trembling, I pulled out the phone and dialled Bella's number, dreading what she would say. Would she be over her fit yet? She picked up after 2 rings. ""Alice?" she groaned into the phone. "Say what you have to say quickly, because I'm really not in the mood for you to be shrieking at me for things I couldn't care less about and to be honest-"

"Bella where the _hell_ are you?" I yelled down the phone, only half putting it on. "You need to meet me, like now! Something's happened! Something awful!" I was nearly sobbing into the phone, half out of joy – she sounded fine.

"Whoa, whoa, Alice, calm down!" she said firmly. She sounded half asleep, and I wondered where the hell she had spent last night. "Now tell me where you are and what the hell's going on."

"I'm at LaGuardia airport going insane! You need to get here as soon as possible otherwise I'm coming to you! And I know you hate my driving, but I'll be doing it in a stolen vehicle!" I sounded hysteric, even to myself. I was never going to get Jasper back if she wouldn't help me! But would she, after everything that happened in Alaska?

"Alice, what's going on?" she repeated. "I'll come and get you, I promise; I just need to know what's happening."

"They've gone!" I cried. "Jasper and Edward and Emmett and Rose and Esme and Carlisle! They're gone, Bella! They went into the woods to hunt and they never came back! I would've gone in after them but I had to protect Charlie! I couldn't leave him on his own when there was something out there picking us all off one by one! Oh _Bella _I don't know what happened to them! I can't _see _them anymore! What if they're-?"

"Alice, stop!" she yelled as I started babbling. "Calm down, okay? I'm on my way – I promise I won't be any more than 15 minutes, alright? Just stay where you are and don't kill anybody." she said grimly.

"I promise, just please hurry up!" she said softly, sounding terrified. She hung up and I rested my head against the wall.

All I could do now was wait.

I had tears in my eyes at Alice's story. My hands and

* * *

lips were trembling as the tears began their descent down my face. I never realized how awful things must've been, both for her and Charlie!

"Is there any chance?" I choked and had to breath heavily. "Is there any chance that they're all alive?" half of me didn't want an answer. "Edward? Fuck, Alice, he needs to be okay! I need him to be okay as much as you need Jasper to be okay!" I cried.

"I don't know" she sobbed. She held her arms out and I hugged her tightly, letting her comfort me as I shook with the sobs.

"I love him, Alice. He needs to be okay!" I cried.

"I know." She repeated.

"We have to get them back."

"I know, and we will. I came here to get your help, and now I have it, there's no way that they can't be alright."

I hoped she was right.

* * *

**...Well? Good Alice's POV? Review please my lovelies (:**

**My bad if there were any typos – I'm so tired, and had literally no energy to read it through (n)**

**Charlie**


	13. Hide And Seek

**Hey! Pictures of all the shapeshifters are on my profile, along with some other pictures from both this story and MVR – check it out. The 'shifters might look close to what you had in mind... ;)**

**Soundtrack: Haunted - Evanescence**

* * *

Alice sighed dramatically, ending the silence that had been going on since we had left New York City around 4 hours ago. I was driving, of course, and was concentrating on the road a little harder than I would usually have done. All around me I saw someone waiting to take me and Alice and put us with the rest of the Cullen's. Dead or alive. I was more on edge than usual, and I didn't like it; my breakdown had shown me that I really, really couldn't afford to lose control of my actions again.

Alice was staring dejectedly out of window – though I knew there was something she wanted to say to me. She hadn't said a word since we left, when she asked whether or not I was going home, or back to the Cullen house so that the shapeshifters had somewhere to go. I'd just grunted and shrugged in response because I didn't know the answer, and she hadn't tried to make conversation since. Perhaps that was best; what was there to talk about other than all things depressing, anyway?

Naomi was asleep in the back of the car, curled up in the middle of the seats like a cat - no pun intended. I didn't exactly know why she wanted to come with us, but I had a feeling it was for our safety. She acted as though I was both dumb and blind, sometimes. I'd _seen _her talking to Ty and Jonathon this morning, giving me watchful glances every now and again like I couldn't see her. If they'd sent her to keep an eye on me, I'd be having words; I didn't needed to be followed around like I was about to be assassinated for as long as I was human.

Whatever, like I needed protection.

The pack had cleared the house and left no traces of them in literally no time at all, disappearing into the early morning shadows as soon as they'd told me to meet them at my house.

After Alice and I had both stopped crying when she had told me her awful story, we headed inside and I went straight to bed, collapsing in exhaustion; it was around 4 in the morning the next day when I woke up, and we left pretty much straight away. My body clock wasn't right, and I was waking up and going to sleep at the strangest times. It would be a bitch to sort out when things calmed down and my schedule went back to as normal as it _could _get– wait, it never would.

I'd made a promise.

Alice was bitchy about _that _as well. It didn't matter that I'd gotten help to find her husband; it didn't matter that she had protection and back up if anything tried to snatch us in the woods; it didn't matter that they were family, and morally, they wouldn't do anything that would put me in a situation I didn't want to be in, or use me. All Alice could see was that I'd dedicated myself to the pack, and that there was no way out of it, only death. She only understood that I had to switch my loyalty to them, and that if I wanted help, I had to earn it. She couldn't see anything else.

I sighed and gripped the soft leather of the steering wheel a little harder. Edward had said the magic words and jinxed my hopes of having a happy ending. Because literally, as soon as he had said that things were normal and that we could have a happy ending, things had started to go wrong – majorly wrong, life spinning out of control wrong. But I couldn't blame him; not when I'd brought everything upon myself. It was my fault that my life was shitty, as much as I wanted to blame Edward and Renee and Alice and Charlie and Emmett and all the Cullen's. But in the end, I couldn't do it.

"Alright, I can't take this anymore!" Alice snapped, spinning around to face me and glaring at me with intensity that could've burned right through me.

"Can't take what?" I asked in a surly way; she'd made me jump. "You're the one who's been sitting there like little Miss Princess, sighing every five minutes. If you've got something to say to me, Alice, then just say it." I quirked an eyebrow, trying to divide my attention between the busy motorway with jerks trying to match my speed and just plain getting in my way, and what Alice was saying – or not saying.

She glanced into the back and listened for a moment to make sure Naomi really was sleeping before speaking. "Bella, I owe you a major apology." I was stunned; I wasn't expecting this.

"For what?"

"For what." She muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "Bella, it's mainly my fault that we're in this situation! And I don't mean not seeing that everyone was going to go missing," she cut in when she saw I was going to argue. "I mean not telling you about your breakdown." She looked down at her hands, moving them around aimlessly in her lap.

"You knew?" I asked stupidly. Of course she knew, she'd seen what I'd done to the house. "What exactly did you know? And when did you see?" I stumbled over my words, facing the road intently.

"I saw that you were going to snap from all the pressure that you've been under lately, but I didn't know when or what you were going to do. And I saw this about 2 weeks before we left for Alaska, at the peak of when things were getting bad at work." Alice sometimes came in and helped with training sessions when I was too busy, which had been a lot lately. "I told everyone else, but not you, because I knew you'd feel like we were all pitying you or something." She scoffed and shook her head. "_That's _why Edward and I had said we couldn't trust you when you overheard us talking that night – we knew you were going to snap, and we couldn't trust your actions at that moment."

I was stunned into silence. Edward was right, as usual, and I had just gone ahead and fucked things up, as usual. I should've known that he wouldn't lose faith in me after one lie! Why didn't I always have to judge before I knew...?

"Thanks for telling me that, Alice, apology accepted."

"Thanks, Bella." She beamed. "I do have _one _more thing to ask you, though. I can't see this for myself, because it's not based on a decision..."

"What is it, Alice?"

"Are you okay?" she said simply. "I mean, are you..._better _now? You burnt down the house, and I was just wondering if you had gotten over your...breakdown." she said awkwardly.

"I'm not going to talk to you if you keep talking to _me _as if I'm going to throw myself under a car at any minute." I glared. "I had a BREAKDOWN. There, I said it. You don't have to sidestep the subject because you're ashamed of me, you little runt." I ruined my little speech by laughing at the end.

"Alright, alright." She laughed. "But are you? Okay, I mean. And don't call me a runt; I'm the same size as you, you jerk."

"...I think so." I said slowly and uncertainly. "I don't feel wrong like I did when it happened but I just feel...tired."

"Tired?"

"Yeah, like I'm tired of being, well, me." I said uncomfortably. "I don't know, Alice. It just seems to me that I'm just not happy being a human being anymore. I don't see a future where I'm still human, to be honest." I sighed. I couldn't really see any future for me, if I was honest, but I wouldn't say that to Alice. "That's probably why my future's blurry to you – I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You want to become a vampire." It wasn't a question.

"I'd become a snail if it meant I weren't human." She didn't speak again, she had nothing to say.

I meant every word I said about not being human – it hadn't worked out for me so far. I wanted to be a vampire, but not as much as I had done when I'd been with Edward. It had seemed like a double prize, losing my humanity and being able to stay with Edward for eternity. Now, I'd only live for a second if it meant I wasn't human...

"Bella?" she asked, still facing the window.

"Yes, Alice?"

"Get better soon. For me. For Edward."

* * *

It had been 2 days, 23 hours, 26 minutes, and 15 seconds since Edward and Emmett disappeared, and we were no closer to finding them than we had been.

I stood at the edge of the road, watching in case any cars went past so we could make ourselves unseen. Alice and the pack (only my family; the others had conveniently disappeared. Fuckers.) were close by, and discussing what was going to happen with the search. I was more than grateful that they were here. Somehow, the forest seemed so much bigger and a lot more daunting when I knew I had to go in and look for something.

"So," Jonathon went over for the second time after slapping Ash around the head for talking. "Bella, Alice, Naomi and Ash will go as one group, heading straight for the centre. Ty, Tammy and Casey will go as a group left, and Joshua, Lily and I will go to the right, and we'll all head towards Bella's group after 2 hours of serious searching. Is that understood?" he asked with a pointed glance toward Ash and Tammy, who had the tendency to piss about.

"Have you got any ideas about where they might have been taken, or what might have happened to them, ladies?" fuck, Lily even _sounds _like Renee. I pointedly didn't look at her, just shaking my head at Jonathon and Ty, who always seemed to be stood like bodyguards in the group. "Alice?" I pinched the bridge of my nose and turned away; trying not to think about the person I had picked the habit up from.

"I don't know." She said in a small voice. "All I know is that they were headed for the centre of the forest, and then they disappeared into God knows where." She sighed. "I don't even know if they headed straight into the deeper part of the woods or went a different way – I just assumed that they'd be okay, and that they wouldn't need me to watch what they were doing." I heard her sniffle, and turned back around. Joshua put an arm around her shoulders gently.

"Alright." Ty continued in a softer voice to what I was expecting. I thought he'd want to get to just get on with this so he could leave. He didn't seem the type to want to help me. "We'll search as Jonathon said. If anyone finds anything, or sees anything, report back to us immediately. If you have to change, then do it, because there's something or someone out there who's capable of taking on 6 vampires; that means they can try and take on us as well. So, just be careful, alright?" there were resolute nods and murmurs from everyone. "I said, alright?" he said sharply. There was a resolute yes from everyone.

"Before we go – any questions?" Jonathon asked.

"Actually, I have a question." I said sarcastically. He looked at me with an eyebrow raised, hearing the sarcasm in my voice, but gestured for me to go on. "Why am I in the largest group? Surely, I'd be in a smaller group, seeing as though I have a vampire with me, and I know these woods better than any of you." I folded my arms and glared at him. I knew exactly why I was in a bigger group.

"Because you aren't a-"

"'Shifter? Cut the bull, Uncle Jon." I snapped. "I can handle myself, and if you keep treating me like some stupid little kid tagalong, then you'll see just how well I can defend myself." He actually looked a little bad for what he'd said. I strode past him, trying not to look haughty, nodding at Ash and Naomi, who had some serious doubts about following me. They came anyway.

"You're going to end up getting punched in the face." Alice chuckled next to me. I just rolled my eyes and didn't comment, focusing on what was on the ground, and might be stuck on branches and trees.

Naomi and Ash were very vigilant, keeping an eye on practically everything. Even where I'd already looked, they checked, and I tried not to let that get to me. Thankfully it hadn't rained for about a week, so if there were any dropped items, or scents lingering about in the air, either Alice or Ash and Naomi would pick it up. Of course, being _human _I was out on this little perk. It didn't matter; I still searched my damned hardest anyway.

There was nothing in the woods to be found until hours later when Ash called over to me, waving me over as he leant over something on the ground. I ran over, calling to Alice as I went. Time seemed to be going in reverse and I couldn't get over fast enough to see what he'd found.

"Maybe it belonged to one of the women." He said when I came over. "I only just spotted it because it was hidden-"

"It was buried on purpose." Alice interrupted, her eyes glazed over in a way I was becoming to recognize was when she was seeing something I couldn't see. "I know that much. One of them dropped it, and then someone buried it instead taking it with them – I don't know why." Pretty good to say she didn't even know what 'it' was.

Naomi moved a few leaves aside and revealed a silver chain, pressed deeply into the earth with whatever was hanging off it still buried under debris. Ash lifted it out slowly as Alice crouched next to me, and I swear, I almost had a heart attack.

Hanging off the silver chain was my gorgeous black engagement ring.

My ring.

Edward's necklace.

Edward had been right here!

"That's mine!" I said shakily, holding my hand out for the necklace.

"Hang on, let us try and get a scent." They both took turns taking a deep breath before passing it to Alice, who did the same thing, but wrinkling her nose in distaste. "What are you getting, Alice?" Ash asked. "I smell vampire, werewolf, and a bit of 'shifter, but that might be from Bella." He said casually.

"You're _kidding _me!" I groaned. "Not more werewolves!"

"No, Bella." Alice said slowly, still focused on the chain. "There's werewolves involved alright, but I can smell something else, though for the life of me I can't tell you what it is." She cocked her head to the side as if in deep thought, still with the chain swinging from her hand. "But I think our best bet is to try and track this new scent. However it's so faint that I'm not sure we can." I saw the disappointment flood her eyes, though she tried not to show it. I'd never actually felt this close to Alice before; we both knew exactly how the other was feeling.

"I think it'll be better if we change and head further into the woods." Naomi said, looking between us. "We can cover more ground, and we're better at tracking in our animal forms." I just nodded, gesturing for them to go ahead.

I swear, I had only turned away for a few seconds, when the air on either side of me seemed to turn electric, and the next time I looked on either side of me, my cousins were gone. In their place was a _huge _golden lion, its coat beautifully glossy, and its eyes a familiar sparkling blue, and a cheetah, sleek, and even stood still looked incredibly fast, with eyes of a familiar electric blue – seems these two _hadn't _inherited the Swan green eyes, like me.

"Go see what you can find then." I grinned. With what sounded eerily like an animalistic chuckle from Ash, they both sprinted into the forest, disappearing within a second.

I turned to Alice with the intention of shaking my head, when something caught my eye. Just over Alice's shoulder was something watching us, or at least that's what it looked like. It was a person; a fucking person just sat there in the bushes looking at us as though we were on fucking TV or something.

I hissed, shoving past Alice and running as fast as I possibly could as it sprinted at inhuman speed into the forest. I pumped my legs faster and harder than I had ever worked them before, getting more and more speed and energy as I dodged trees and kept pace with the guy dressed all in black not 6 feet in front of me. Alice appeared at the side of me, staring at me in disbelief, barely giving the guy running in front of us two looks.

"What the hell are you _doing?" _I yelled at her. "Run after him! You can take him!" I practically screamed at her. We were so fucking close! If he knew something, we could have the Cullen's back by tonight!

"Bella," she said in a completely stunned voice. "I'm running as fast as I can." She stared at me in shock. I looked around me properly, losing focus. She was right. The forest wasn't meant to be a blur like this – I had only ever seen the forest like this when I'd been running with Edward.

The guy in front suddenly disappeared, and Alice grabbed me around the waist, making us come to a screeching halt a few inches from the edge of a huge cliff. I looked over, seeing the guy jumping from ledge to ledge until he landed perfectly like a cat at the bottom of the ravine. I glared, grinding my teeth as he got away and ran into the trees at the bottom.

"Why'd you stop me?" I hissed. "I could've gone after him!"

"Before or after you threw yourself off the cliff?" she glared half-heartedly. I could tell she was really scared and worried. What the hell was all that about? I'd been running as fast as a vampire – was that even possible?

"I think I need to see Jonathon." I gulped.

* * *

"Anything?" Ty asked as Alice and I walked into the main group at the edge of the forest. Jonathon's head snapped up and he looked at me quizzically, eyeing my dishevelled and windswept state in concern. I just shook my head at him. There were too many people here, so I'd talk to him later.

"We found a necklace that belonged to them, but that's it." I said in a broken voice. The chain hung around my neck, with the gold band of the ring pressing into my skin, giving me a reassuring touch that Edward was alive – he had to be.

"We found a couple of torn pieces of clothing, and what looks like torched wood." Lily said softly. "I'm sorry we couldn't find anything more."

"There was a man." Alice cut in. "A man dressed all in black, but he got away. Bella and I chased him, but I couldn't go after him because I had to stop Bella from flinging herself off the cliff to give chase." She gave me a dirty look which I returned with a glare.

"It'll be better tomorrow." Jonathon smiled. "Just tell yourself that."

"Tomorrow." I said with a small smile. There was always tomorrow.

And the next day, and the next day, and the next day...

* * *

Alice and the 'shifters headed to the Cullen place, where there were plenty of beds and places for them all to stay when we left the woods. I, on the other hand, headed back to my place, just wanting to be by myself for the night, without any reminders that I'd failed yet again, and all that I had of Edward now was the ring that I'd thrown away in anger.

However, when I got back, a canary yellow Porsche sat in the driveway behind my Lamborghini.

Charlie was home.

I sprinted into the house as fast as I could, flinging open the door and calling his name as soon as I was over the threshold. He came running out of the living room, looking exhausted and very rumpled, but very much okay. The only family I had that wasn't an animal or a vampire. The family I knew loved me no matter what.

"We didn't find them dad." I choked as we walked into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He whispered, kissing my temple. The first sob was quite hard to let out, and the tears didn't seem to want to leave me, but once I started, I couldn't stop. The tears and sobs were continuous for a long while, and I said a lot of things I don't remember. But my dad held me, rocking me and whispering soothing words all the while.

The ring seemed white hot on my aching heart.

* * *

**Hmmm – I'm trying to make this plot as different from MVR as possible.**

**Review me please; you know you want too... ;)**

**Charlie**


	14. Repeating History

**Hi there guys! This chapter is slightly longer, if you can tell, because it has a bit more plot to it. **

**If you haven't already done so, go on my profile, and scroll right to the bottom, and there are links to what each shapeshifter looks like – just thought I'd remind you. (:**

**Thanks for sticking with this story, and don't forget to review me!**

**Charlie**

**Soundtrack: Fistful Of Steel – Rage Against The Machine**

* * *

"_Bella! Bella, can you hear me?" I was stood in the deep green forests of Forks, searching blindly and wildly for Edward's voice, which called to me from somewhere far away. But everywhere I turned, there was just green and black, darkness, rainfall and that gloomy feeling of a place that hasn't seen animal or human visitors for a long time. No Edward. Just me, alone in the middle of nowhere._

"_Edward!" I yelled out into the trees._

_From the left of me, I saw a dark figure drowning in shadow emerging out of the trees, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wouldn't have to keep searching anymore; Edward was here, and everything was fine! But it wasn't Edward who emerged out of the woods, I learnt that quickly._

_It looked exactly like the stranger who ran away, the one with his hood pulled up over his head so that I couldn't see his face. Every step I took back he took forward, until he got tired of the game and strode towards me. I tried to make my legs move, but they weren't going anywhere. _

"_Where are you headed, beautiful?" he crooned in a steel voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. As if he could read my thoughts, he stroked the back of my neck, sending ice cold shivers up and down my spine._

"_Bella! Get away, run!" Edward's voice was getting fainter. So faint that I was terrified it might disappear, but I couldn't find any way to tell him to stay..._

"_Babe, you wouldn't do that to me, would you? I thought you loved me. You loved me enough to kiss me, didn't you?" the voice turned leering, in a New Yorker accent that I would be able to tell anywhere._

"_Caleb, no." I whispered, turning my head to the side as he bent down towards me._

"_It didn't stop you before, did it?" he hissed cruelly, grabbing my head and fixing it in place. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream._

_Edward!_

_But it wasn't Caleb anymore, it was someone unknown. His eyes were violet, but harsh and cruel. He was extremely handsome, but there was nothing beautiful about his face. He looked like a killer, someone who enjoyed the hunt and the feel of human life slowly draining away..._

_He knew me, I could tell, even if he was a stranger to me. He looked at me like he would look at a lover; his grip was harsh and strong, but there was something surprisingly gentle about the way that he held me. I didn't know him though, and I didn't care how gently he touched me – I was going to fucking stand it. I kicked and punched and bit and yelled as much as I could, but still, he stood there smiling at me like a child who just won't listen to the parent. _

_Fucktard._

"_Let me go!" I yelled._

"_You don't want me to let you go, do you? You love the way it feels to be with me, I can tell, you know." He smiled in a serene way._

"_I don't even know you! Get your hands off me!"_

"_Bella!" his lips got closer to mine, whilst my fruitless struggles were ignored. "Bella!" he came at me slowly, wanting to draw this out for as long as possible... "BELLA!"_

I sat up in bed with a gasp, trying to wipe the sweat off my face with a clammy hand. The nightmare had seemed so vivid, so real, as if I were actually there; and it just reminded me that Edward was still missing. "Bella!" I turned to the final voice; the one that had woke me up, and saw Naomi leant over my bed, getting ready to hit me with a pillow that she'd probably stolen from the other side of my bed.

"I'm up, man, I'm up!" I screeched, diving out of the way as the pillow hit the mattress with a thump. "What the hell do you want? It's only..." I looked at the clock and screamed. "8 IN THE MORNING! WHAT THE HELL, NAOMI!" I dived for her, but she bolted out of the way, grabbing random pieces of clothing off of the floor and hurling them at me.

"I'm waking you up because we have a new lead as to where the Cullen's might be." She rolled her eyes at me when I completely froze, trying to figure out what she was talking about. I wasn't very good in the mornings. "Alice picked up a new scent when she went out...hunting, this morning." She wrinkled her nose in distaste whilst I struggled to pull my three quarters on. "It was that same scent she picked up off your necklace. It was very faint, and we only just managed to trace it, but everyone's out there tracking it now." she grinned at me as I pulled an over-sized top over my head. I looked down at it in confusion; this wasn't mine, wasn't it? I balked. It was Edward's favourite Van's top. I'd borrowed it one night when we out after he, ahh, ruined mine. "You okay?" she asked in concern when my shocked face turned to despair and agony.

"Yeah I'm-"

"BELLA!" Alice shrieked from the doorway. "Let's go, like now! We don't have time to waste chatting!" I only just had time to slip my feet into a pair of sneakers before she disappeared, running down the stairs and out of the house. Naomi followed as I took her lead, sprinting out of the house with only a glance of apology at Charlie before launching myself as fast as I could towards the woods.

"Alice, where are you going?" I yelled after her, but she didn't listen. Naomi appeared on my left, staring hard at Alice's back in what seemed like hurt and anger, but I didn't dwell on it; I didn't have time, as Alice had so sweetly pointed out. "Fuck, Alice, slow down and tell me what's going on!" I all but screamed at her. She came to a grinding halt, almost making me fly past her.

"I found a scent this morning." She muttered.

I was absolutely furious; somehow, in the shock of hearing that there was a new lead on the Cullen's, I'd bypassed the fact that Alice had taken a very big, very stupid risk. "What the _hell _were you doing out here in the woods on your own?" I hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to shake some damn sense into her. "I can't have you go missing as well, okay, I can't!"

"I can handle myself!"

"That's bull, and you know it." I glared, running off again to go and find Jonathon, who I had spotted heading in the direction we had been headed. I didn't look back to see if Alice was following, I was completely and utterly pissed at her.

I mean, how _ridiculous _and plain stupid was that? Who goes out into the forest where people keep disappearing alone? I would only have blamed myself if she had gone missing, but I don't think she realized that. She was my sister! She shouldn't be taking stupid risks like that which could get her killed!

Wait, wasn't that what everyone thought about me?

I shrugged it off. Now wasn't the time to get into a debate about me and my fucked up decisions. If this lead was any good, we could have the Cullen's back by the end of the day! I didn't think about what would happen if they were dead, not kidnapped. Alice wouldn't survive it; neither would I. With that last depressing thought I pushed my legs faster, making it to where everyone was gathered within a minute. Ash greeted my chirpily as ever, and I could almost pretend that there was nothing wrong; that my heart wasn't threatening to jump out of my chest.

Almost, not quite.

"Well, now that you're here, Bella." Ty said slightly sarcastically, "And not fast asleep, we'll begin." He took a thick black bag from Lily and started going through the contents, rummaging through everything until he found what he was looking for, and handing it to me. "Do you recognize this?" he asked soberly.

It was one of the Cullen crests that Carlisle had given to each member of his family; I'd been promised one for after I married Edward. This one was quite large, so not Esme or Carlisle, who wore theirs on wedding rings; it didn't look as though it belonged on a wristband, like what all the boys wore, so it had to be- "Its Rosalie's." I breathed. She wore the Cullen family crest on an old fashioned chain and iron setting necklace. My head snapped up to Ty, who was waiting for me to work something out that he already knew. "Someone dragged them away by the neck – that's the reason that Rosalie's necklace, and Edward's chain came off! And the necklaces were buried because the chain was too awkward to put back on quickly!" I was starting to shake with anger.

"That means they had to have been knocked out, right?" Joshua cut in. "I mean if they were getting dragged whilst they were still conscious, they would have put up a fight."

"What could have knocked them out?" Casey asked. "Only fire and werewolves can kill vampires, but obviously they aren't dead if they were dragged away." I felt a small bit of hope spark inside of me. Alice said nothing.

"We don't know, but we have to find out quickly, before something happens to them. And Bella," Ty's expression changed to a respectful smile. "Nice work."

"Alright, you all know the scent, and that it leads north. Just follow it until it either disappears, or leads to somewhere that can be used for keeping kidnapped vampires. Bella, just follow us for the time being; you'll learn how to follow scents in time." I nodded my head.

"Alright, let's go!" Jonathon lead the group north out of the small clearing, whilst I held back to run with Alice.

"This is it, Cullen." I said quietly. "We're going to get them back – it'll all be over soon." I smiled at her, trying not to let her see the excitement that was threatening to explode from me. Alice had been silent and mardy all morning, apart from the times she was freaking screaming at me for nothing.

"I know, and I really can't wait to see Jasper again, to see that he's okay with my own eyes." she looked happy now that we were alone, and the shifters were gone. I knew she didn't like them, but damn it, couldn't she be at least a little more grateful? The 'shifters had changed their plans, risked their lives, and lost half of their crew to come and help me, and she didn't even give a word of appreciation?

"The shifters have done a lot for us, you know." I emphasised, but she didn't get the hint. "Alice, you've barely said a word to them! They came here to help us, and you're being all snooty about it! Come on, man, they've done a hell of a fucking lot to help us!"

"I never said they haven't!" she snapped. "I just don't know them very well, and I don't know what to say to them." I hissed.

"Ungrateful bitch," I hissed, making sure no-one could hear us. "I wouldn't even know if it weren't for you! And if your problem has got something to do with what they are, then I have a newsflash for you, sweetie: I'm one of them!" with that I ran off, leaving Alice at the back of the group as I ran beside Ash.

I didn't feel bad about making Alice run on her own, I really didn't. Besides, it was probably best if I wasn't near her right now. I didn't know what it was, but deep inside me, I felt completely different, like I was changing somehow. It kind of started when I got pissed at Alice, and had been making its presence known ever since.

I was changing, and it was seriously freaking me out.

But like the rest of my problems, I shut them away in a secluded part of my mind where I couldn't reach them, focusing on the here and now instead of what I had to deal with later. Like I said, problems would always be there if you didn't deal with them, so you might as well wait a little bit, right?

"You okay?" Ash asked from beside me. Huh, was it that obvious that I felt like complete and utter bullcrap?

"I'm fine, Ash. Just thinking about stuff, you know."

He nodded. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But don't worry, we'll find your family, and deal with anyone who might be there, okay?" I nodded. "Good. And hey, it really is good to have you here in our pack. I mean, it was good before, but there was always that forbidden topic of conversation; you know, the ones where as soon as you start talking about it, there's an awkward silence? Well, every time someone mentioned Aunt Renee, or you, or Emmett, there was like this pause, and someone, usually Jonathon, had to change the subject to stop it from being all awkward and quiet for everyone." He shook his head. Gee, it was real nice to know that I could silence an entire pack just by the sound of my name.

"Why did no-one want to talk about us?"

"Because you weren't one of us, and we hadn't seen you in years. Besides, Aunt Renee and Aunt Lily had a major fight years and years ago about her being a spy. Could've turned real nasty, too, if my dad hadn't stopped them from biting each other's heads off."

"...Well, what were they fighting about? I mean details."

"Well, we have this rule where you can't join the pack or shift until you're 16, and Renee was just about to turn 16. Truth is, she'd already got a job with that company you told us you work for, and she didn't want to be a shifter anymore. She said that she'd rather take this family tradition, instead of our family tradition." He shook his head. "Can't imagine why – being a shifter is the coolest!" moron. "But anyway, she'd met a human guy as well, so she didn't want to have any more secrets to keep from him. Course, Lily was pissed, because she didn't want to be the only girl in the pack, and she thought Aunt Renee wanted to be one of them, like she had. So they started fighting, and my dad and Uncle Jon had to split them up. I don't think they spoke after that – well, not until they both had kids, anyway. They grew civil after that." He sighed. "But there's still an awkward silence every time she's mentioned, and I'm hoping you can change that."

"Whoa."

"I know, right?"

"Everyone stop!" Jonathon's voice rang out sharply, and everyone came to a smooth stop in the middle of a small clearing a little larger than the one we'd come from about 15 minutes ago. The floor was different though, covered in twigs and pine needles even though the trees were quite far away. There was no grass, and no visible soil, which was pretty strange. Jonathon had stopped us for a reason; he smelt a rat like I did.

"There's something strange about this place." Alice piped up. "I can sense something weird in the air; something...deadly." and with that, the floor collapsed underneath us, sending us into a dark pit of the Earth.

* * *

My head felt like I'd been roundhouse kicked by Jackie Chan.

My body felt like it was on fire.

My heart was beating like it was about to take off.

I sat up slowly, trying to stop the room from spinning for just two seconds so I could figure out where I was. I saw a flash of deep blonde and red above me, and saw the concerned faces of Tammy and Jonathon stop blurring enough so that I could see who the hell they were.

"Oh goody, you aren't dead!" Tammy giggled, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet as Jonathon steadied me. I would've killed for an Aspirin to stop the drum beats in my head.

"Yeah, goody." I muttered. I wasn't paying attention too closely as I looked around the room, otherwise I would've seen them earlier; all I saw was broken wooden panels all over the concrete floor – jeez, that was what had killed my head - and mud covering the entire area of God knows where we were. Looking up, I saw the pine covered land at the edge of a broken hole where we'd fallen; still sticking wooden boards out here and there. The ground was about 10 feet above our heads, and I wondered how the fuck we were going to get out of there until I remembered that one of my cousins was a lion. How cool is that?

Seriously, what is it with me and getting concussion?

"Bella, are you okay?" Jonathon asked in concern, eyeing both my wobbly state and where I was looking strangely.

"I'll be fine, I've had worse." I laughed.

"Bella, to your left, close to the back of this room." I turned to where he was looking, and I swear, I would've fallen if he hadn't been holding me up.

There, sat on rickety wooden chairs with chains as thick as my arm tying them up, were the Cullen's. They were rumpled and dirty, with their clothes ripped in places, their hair a complete and utter mess, and a few injuries to their bodies, but that didn't matter. They were here. They were here, and they were alive.

With a strangled sob, I broke free of Jonathon and stumbled over to one person, completely bypassing Alice, who was crouched by Jasper, ignoring the shifters, who were stood to make sure I was fine and trying to untie the Cullen's, to Edward.

I fell onto my knees beside him, seeing the pure love and relief in his eyes as a few tears drops made their way from my eyes onto my lap. With all the strength I had, I ripped the chain from his mouth, throwing it aside and starting to undo the chains at the back of his chair.

"Stop, Bella, just leave it a moment. Just let me see you, please." he was almost begging. I dropped the chains and did what he asked, kneeling in front of him and watching as he scrutinized my face. "You're okay." He closed his eyes briefly in relief. "We thought that you might have been hurt-"

"_You _were worried about _me?_ Edward, we've been searching these woods for two days now, trying to find you. And look what I picked up yesterday." Unbelievable. He got kidnapped and tied up underground, and yet, he was worrying about me getting hurt! What is _up_ with that?

I pulled the necklace from around my neck and put it on his lap, seeing the look of relief on his face. "I thought they'd taken it from me. Is that Rosalie's?" he asked when I put her crest with the necklace.

"Yes, we found it this morning."

"She'll be glad." He smiled. "Fuck, Bella. I love you so much, and I don't care if you don't want to hear it because you're confused." I shook my head in earnest and tried to protest, but he carried on. "This past week or so has been fucking hell for me; please, just tell me that we won't have to go through it again, and I swear you won't regret it."

I was about to promise when I saw a mark on his neck. I leaned forward and pulled his collar down roughly, seeing the angry puckered scar resting on the left side of his neck. It had to have been something or someone seriously strong to inflict that sort of damage to him! If he were human, he'd be dead. No doubt about it.

"What the fuck happened to you?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"They knocked me out with sort of powder when we were running." He spat. "When we got back here they wanted information about that place you work, and stuff about you. I got this scar from telling where they could get off." I started shaking like I had been when I was running, but like ten times worse. I couldn't hold my hand steady, and the edge of my sight was glowing red.

"Bella, what the hell?" Edward whispered, trying to get out of his chains. "Why are you shaking like that?"

"JONATHON, ASH, JOSHUA!" Ty yelled across the room as he ran towards me, grabbing me around the waist and hauling me to my feet. His grip was tighter than I thought, and I started snarling and struggling to get away. Three other pairs of arms helped him, lifting me off the floor and moving me away from Edward, who looked as though he was going to murder someone.

"Get the hell off of her!" he yelled.

Everyone ignored him, pulling me into the centre of the room and gripping onto me tighter. "Let me go!" my struggles were useless. The guys were just too strong, and they were using all their strength to keep me in place.

"Bella, stop struggling." Ty said softly in my ear. "We're trying to help you; to get you out of here before you change in front of everyone you know."I went limp, but my body was still shaking like hell, and there was no way to stop it or go back now. I was angry and nothing and no-one, and I couldn't stop myself.

_Fuck _my head was pounding.

My body was on fire, and my nerves were screaming at me.

The boys jumped, and we were out of the underground cellar and back in the clearing, and I was being dragged away again, into the woods far away from the others.

"Put me down!" I screamed again.

"Shh, Bella, shh, it'll be over a minute." Joshua tried to calm me down, but I just couldn't listen, I couldn't. The dull ache in my stomach had turned into a roaring fire in my veins, like the way Edward had described the transition into a vampire.

I don't know how far away we got until they finally put me down on the hard ground. My shaking had become so bad that I was heaving like I was going to be sick. Not a nerve in my body was still, and I'm sure I screamed, but I couldn't hear it.

"Bella, it'll all be over soon." Ash said softly somewhere near me. I felt him being pulled away, and I was alone again, writhing in again on the floor.

The pain was starting to recede as my hearing became sharper, and I heard the leaves moving across the floor as if they were right next to me. I could smell animals that were nowhere near me, and everything seemed to become sharper, like someone had turned the focus switch on my vision. But I didn't feel complete, like there was something missing – like I wasn't...whole.

"Why won't this end?" I snapped at whoever was closest to me. But there were no humans near me. I managed to lift my head up high enough to see that surrounding me was a panther, puma, white tiger and a lion, all watching my every move with cautious, concerned eyes that didn't seem to have changed from when they were human.

"Oh my god." I whispered, seeing the red take over my vision one last time before I was taken over, and I wasn't there anymore.

It felt like a tight bandage had been removed from me, or I'd been set free from chains that were keeping me tied to humanity. My eyes, which had been tightly closed, opened to see a different view entirely. Through the darkened, rain cloud filled sky I could see rays of sunlight trying to break through; I saw individual stems in leaves and felt more than I had ever felt before. But damn I really did scream as I became more than a human.

When I looked at my hands, I wasn't a human anymore. I was a black and orange Bengal tiger.

* * *

The drop into the cellar prison was all too easy to jump down into, and I didn't give myself a concussion this time. My animal muscles knew exactly when to bend to land, and my ears knew exactly where in the room the horrified gasps came from, and in Emmett's case, the swearing.

"Well, congratulations, Bella." Lily grinned, making her way across the room and ruffling Ash's...mane? Fuck, even as a tiger that felt weird as hell to say. I was an animal, a fucking tiger! I had paws, and _damn _did they feel weird! Everything about me felt weird, but it felt _good _at the same time, like this was what I had been waiting for my whole life. Renee had made the wrong choice; this was what I had really needed. I barked a laugh, growling just to see what it sounded like.

I felt like a fucking kid on Christmas.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Emmett strode over to where I was stood, stopping about 6 feet away and kneeling on the ground. He looked...scared, and worried about me. I padded over to where he was knelt, touching his cheek gently with my face, making him smile. "Well this is a different look, huh kid?"

"Bella," I turned to the voice behind me. Ty had a huge smile on his face; this was why he had been annoyed with me, then. He thought that I was just going to stay human like his sister had done. "Turn back into a human, so we can figure out what we're going to do. Just sort of...let go. A human being is your natural form, so it'll be easier to become human than it was to become a tigress."

I did what he asked, releasing my humanity, feeling as the tiger I was disappeared, leaving a human in its place. "That was the freakiest thing – EVER!" I laughed at Emmett, who was shaking his head at me in wonder.

"My baby sister was a tiger." He muttered. "You were sat in front of me, as a tiger, and now you're a little girl again." He said slowly, looking at me for conformation like it was a dream or something.

"Yes, Emmett, it really happened." I laughed, letting him help me stand. "And don't call me a little girl." I was too happy to even think about being annoyed.

Jasper and Edward were stood frozen closest to us, looking as if they had been in the middle of running out to get me when I'd come in in my 'shifter form. Esme and Carlisle were stood with Alice, looking at me in a mixture of horror and shock. Tammy, Naomi and Casey were on the edge, grinning at me as I met their gaze. Lily was stood with her brothers and her nephew, nodding her head at me as I looked around.

This was me now, the _real _Bella Swan. Not Caleb's Bella. Not Edward's Bella. I was the Bella I had been born as, the one who had taken up the second part of her family heritage.

"Bella!" Edward came over to me, pulling me from Emmett's grip and staring at me in shock. "Did they do this to you?" he nodded his head towards my aunt and uncles with a poisonous look on his face. "What the hell is going _on?_ You came jumping into the room as a fucking _tiger, _with a puma, a lion and a white tiger backing you up." I felt the shaking take over me again, but I clamped down on it before I changed again.

"This is who I am." I hissed, trying not to get angry at him. It wasn't his fault that he didn't understand what was going on. He hadn't been around to get to know my family for the past few days, and had no idea of the risks they'd taken for me. "Edward, please, just listen to me for a few minutes. There's just some things I need to tell you." I bowed my head and leant on his chest. This was going to be hard to say, but I'd finally made up my conflicted mind.

Shit happens.

"Go on." He whispered, starting to wrap his arms around me before I pulled away.

"Edward, you were the guy I chose to spend the rest of my life with, the man that I was going to become a vampire for – I made that decision months ago, even if it wasn't clear to me." he smiled until he saw the look on my face. "But Bella Swan, the spy who fell in love with you and chose you above Caleb Jones...Honey, she's gone now."

"No, Bella, you're still the same person! It doesn't matter what you've become, all that matters is how much I love you, and you love me-"

"No, Edward." I said firmly. I couldn't stand to look at him. I knew the angry, determined look that would be on his face; I knew his hands would be running through his hair, and at some point, he would pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

_Fuck I loved him._

"I love you, Edward, but I can't escape my fate anymore. I'm a shapeshifter, and I made a promise to my family, to my pack. I can't turn my back on them, even if it means giving you up forever."

"No! I mean, we can still be together whilst you're in the pack, it doesn't matter to me what you are! Bella, come on, you know this is just plain stupid!" he yelled at me, but I still didn't turn around. I didn't want to see that look on his face.

"Edward." I finally turned, and his face was much worse than I thought it was. He was angry for sure, but there was hurt and betrayal in his eyes. I'd told him I loved him, but it didn't matter anyway – he knew that. "I love you, but I just can't do this anymore. I'm leaving; it's best for both of us, it really is." I was vaguely aware that we were being watched by both of our families, but it didn't matter. We were in our own little bubble, where no-one really existed, just the two of us, both angry and hurt. "I have to go, Edward, and you can't come with me. It's much better this way."

"Why are you doing this?" he hissed, gripping onto my upper arm. "You already said that you love me, and you know I love you! It doesn't have to be like this!"

"It does, Edward." my voice became bleak, unattached as I broke the grip on my arm easily and backed away. "This is it – it's over. Don't look for me, and don't spend your life thinking we're going to get back together." I backed away until Ash's arm held my own, stopping me from going any further. "Goodbye, Edward." I whispered one last time, looking down at the floor until all the others were assembled around me, forming a loose V with me at the centre this time.

In perfect sync, we all jumped from the basement, landing on the edge of the broken hole. I knew Edward's broken, hurt and angry face would stay with me until the day I died.

But as I always yelled at myself for, I put it away, telling myself I'd deal with it later.

And as I lead my pack away from the underground cellar, one tear slipped down my cheek. I told myself it would be the last tear I shed for Edward Cullen, as I left my old life behind for the second time in my life and became someone different.

My name is Bella Swan, and I'm not a human anymore, I'm not even a spy anymore. I'm a tigress, and I've finally found a place where I really and truly do belong.

* * *

**Hmmm? Well?**

**Tell me what you think (:**

**Charlie **


	15. Copy

This is a VERY important message to everyone who reads my stories!

My Vampire Romance has been posted on someone's website without my permission!

www (dot) wattpad (dot) com/user/pigpog

Can you please post a comment on her profile, or send a message, helping me get this story deleted? People have commented it as though she wrote it, and I'm not happy at all! Please help to get my story removed from that site !

Thankyou so much for your help! Plagiarism really is a bitch!

Charlie


	16. A Fresh Start?

**I'm getting pretty good at updates, right? In My Vampire Romance, weren't you guys waiting like 2 months for an update? Whatever, here's the next chapter!**

**Quick note about my story getting copied onto someone else's website – the person responsible deleted her profile, My Vampire Romance along with it! So a big thank you to everyone who helped me with that – you're freaking awesome ;)**

**Anyway...on with the story!**

**Soundtrack: Thumper – Enter Shikari**

* * *

I sat up stretching, stopped and shook my head at the person in closest to me. Not the greatest thing in the world to wake up to, but I couldn't deny that it was entertaining in a kind of freaky, 'just no' way. Ash was dancing around the camp with his headphones in, lip singing and strutting to some cheesy pop song that was on full blast. All I could do was shake my head.

Idiot.

"Ash you're a douche!" I yelled right by his ear, making him stumble and whirl towards me. "Taylor Swift, huh? _Real _macho." I laughed, running past as he went for me with his t-shirt (did I mention that Ash is _real _proud of his abs, and that anytime he's wearing a shirt he's unhappy?).

"Whatever! Just because you listen to emo, depressing shitty music! Oh yeah, I went there!" I just laughed and ran off, nodding my head at Lily, who I didn't really hate anymore, and waving at Joshua, who was doing pull-ups on a huge oak tree. I didn't see any of the others, who I assumed were either sleeping or out on training or something. I fit into this group so well that I blended into it, sort of losing my differentness and being like everyone else.

I'd never, ever had that before.

I slid down the trunk of a tree separate from everyone else and sat on the ground, waiting for Tammy to either get her ass out of bed or finish what she was doing. She'd been quick to make sure that I'd be the one who went out running with her, as I was the only one who could keep up. This was her favourite place in America, in her opinion: White River Forest, Colorado. It was a pretty place, sure, and it had been fun to spend a few days here, but I just wasn't in the mood for having fun at the moment.

All I could think about was what I'd left behind at home. I always told myself that one day I'd have to leave Forks to protect everyone else; hell, I'd attempted to leave at least twice, but now that I was actually gone...I was far from reassured. All I could see in my head was Edward's face when I'd told him we couldn't be together, and that he shouldn't ever look for me. How awful a person am I? I didn't even stick around to make sure everyone was alright – I just headed out of there, believing it was _best _for everyone else.

Well la-de-dah, miss selfless. Now look what you've gotten yourself into.

But I guess in the end it was unavoidable. I'd been thinking about leaving ever since I first got there, and I'd never really felt I deserved to belong to such a loving family as the Cullen's, so what was I bitching about? I'd known for months and months that things weren't going to last in Forks. The big, happy family; the perfect job; the high school friends; the freaking best boyfriend in the whole damn world – with my bad luck, it was bound to never work out.

But anyway, going back now wasn't an option. I'd told Edward to stay away from me and never look for me, so I had to do the same in return. If he kept his promise – well, listened to my demand – then I'd have to do the same thing. It was best to stay away before I did something that ruined our relationship forever. Something worse than a kiss with an ex-boyfriend. So Forks was off=limits until they'd moved onto another city; only then could I go back and see Charlie and my home.

What a fucking mess.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tammy was suddenly there in front of me, her head cocked to the side as she looked at me on the floor.

"Yeah, sure." I let her pull me up and tried to sort out my tangled hair. I gave up after about a second – stupid hair. "Are you still up for a run?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said slowly, eyeing my slouched, I-don't-give-a-fuck posture with concern. I just rolled my eyes and ran off, not waiting for her to follow me. This forest was good enough, but nowhere near as secluded and more certain that you weren't going to run into anyone like the ones back home. Forks, Washington, really was isolated to the point of exclusion. But I guess that's what I really loved about the place; it was just away from everywhere else and the perfect place to just be alone.

Seriously, what is it with me and being a Washington girl?

"Alright, I'm just going to go ahead and ask." Tammy blurted out after about 10 minutes of silence. "Why did you leave your home the way you did? It was so sudden and so rash! You know my dad would've either given you a few days to say goodbye or sorted out arrangements for you to be absent and go back home!" She looked really frustrated. "But you didn't, you just walked out! And now you're upset, everyone can see it."

"You aren't going to let me leave you without an answer, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine." I glared. I started paying more attention to where I was going so that I wouldn't really have to look at her. I was still working on the whole 'open up to people and confess your thoughts and feelings' crap. "I left because I felt it was better for everyone else. Everywhere I go, trouble follows me! It's inevitable! The only reason I'm staying with you guys, and not leaving again is because a) I feel I belong here, and b) should anything happen I know you can handle it." there, happy now Tammy? Fuck, I hated telling people things!

"You call it leaving; I call it running away."

I scoffed. "Same difference."

"No, Bella." She said firmly. "You're running away because you're scared. You think that as soon as you find happiness and love, something's going to go wrong, even if it isn't. But Bella, that's life – things go wrong! You've just got to learn to deal when all the bad stuff happens! Otherwise you're just going to be running for the rest of your life. And you're a 'shifter now, so it's going to be a long, long life." She grimaced.

"Alright then, miss I'm-going-to-analyse-all-your-thoughts-and-feelings, what do you mean it's going to be a long, long life?" stupid Tammy for being so right. I tried not to let _that _show on my face; she'd never let me live it down.

"'shifters don't get any older until they stopped changing. I thought Jonathon might have mentioned that to you..."

"No, he kept _that _part quiet." Never growing older? I didn't plan on stopping changing, so I could live forever? I could live forever without ever having to become a vampire if I wanted to! This was fucking _perfect!_

"You say you always have to leave – is that because of your mother?"

"Hmmm?" I was still kinda wrapped up on the thoughts of staying alive forever.

"Do you always leave places because that's what your mother did? She left the 'shifters, and the never met again." She sighed. "My dad went mental when he heard she'd been murdered, and that you were being forced to live with your stepdad."

"Why didn't he do anything about it then?" I scoffed. It was wrong of me, but I couldn't help but be pissed that my real family didn't do anything to help me get away from Brian and Caroline – the fucktards. Emily Jones, Caleb's mom, had already told me that she couldn't have looked after me because she was being blackmailed by Brian. So where were my uncles and my aunt when this happened?

"You know those werewolves that attacked you last summer? They were watching you under somebody's orders."

"Yeah...Aiden's." where was this going?

"Aiden was a psychopath." She spat.

"You met him? When, were?"

"Just after Renee was killed." She shook her head. "We all came down to get you, but he said that he'd have his wolves kill you if we even spoke to you or got a certain distance to you. He really was insane! He said something about connecting you to Emmett and Emmett to the Cullen's...it's making me dizzy just thinking about it!"

"Fucking Aiden." I said under my breath. "Tell me about Jonathon. About when he found out Renee was dead."

"Oh, it was awful! He destroyed the place we were staying in anger, but none of us knew what had happened! He just got a phone call from that Catherine you said you work for – she told him. Anyway, Ty, Joshua and I managed to stop him before he did some serious damage." She sighed. I'd almost forgotten that we were running, as I was too preoccupied with her words. There was only a mile ache in my chest from the run.

"Damn." I said under my breath.

"I know. Look, Bella, just remember that you don't have to run away anymore! From what I've told you, you should realize that you're not alone, and that everyone here loves you. Hell, you're family, Bella, and we look out for our own above anyone else! Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am." I laughed.

"Good. I can tell it's going to be...eventful, having you around the place, cuz."

* * *

"Are you sure that you can lift that much?" Ash stood beside me in concern, holding the weights that his *cough* lovely *cough* father had told me I had to lift. Lifting weights wasn't exactly part of my workout, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I was just glad it was Ash who was doing it with me instead of his crazy-ass father, who I still wasn't sure about.

"Just let me try, Ash." I said, trying to be patient. I found that my patience had not been great lately, and I was really trying to work on it. "If they fall and break my windpipe, you know that I really was unable to lift them." I laughed, getting a smile from Ash. He reluctantly let go of the weights, keeping his hands close in case I couldn't handle them. It was hard to get it up the first time, and my arms wobbled a bit, but after the fist lift, I got into it, and didn't find it so hard. "Where the hell did you manage to find weights, anyway?"

"Nicked them from some house in the city." He grinned. "Me and Joshua took a trip out there this morning. Trust me, they have no idea what happened!" Ash was a fun guy to hang out with, and I could really let go and just have a laugh with him. I wouldn't admit this to anyone, but he was fast becoming my favourite cousin.

We worked in silence for about 30 minutes, leaving me to my thoughts...yeah right. I shut everything in my mind out; concentrating on working as hard as I possibly could, exerting myself so I _couldn't _think.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, what was that place like that you worked at?" oh hell no.

"What do you mean, Ash?" I was starting to struggle with the weight as I concentrated in what he was saying. "Do you mean the training? The missions? My boss? My actual job? What do you want to know?"

"Well, everything?" he had the decency to look sheepish and sort of regretful about asking. I really didn't want the whole pack to know every single thing there was to know about me. I really couldn't handle it. "Sorry if I'm annoying you."

"You aren't annoying me, Ash. It's just...I'm not used to telling people everything there is to know about me. It's just not who I am. Sorry."

"Don't be. Just forget I ever asked." He smiled and went back to his weights, leaving me just sat there not knowing what to say.

"My boss is called Catherine Weaver – her family is an old friend of the Swan's always has been, and she's one of my best friends. I started out when Renee died, when Caleb Jones spotted me jumping out of the way of the lorry that killed her. He took me to her, and she gave me a job; that started me becoming a spy, and my relationship with Caleb." I sighed. He was listening silently and attentively, which helped me carry on. "I train myself – going out running and muscle exercises and just small things that help me to be silent, and to not get caught."

"Like what we're doing with you now?"

"Sort of." I smiled. "The missions are whatever Cathy gets. She'll get some information or shit, and I just do whatever she tells me to do – no-one really knows. I could be killing someone, breaking into somewhere, getting information, spying on someone, or infiltrating a place. It all depends on what's going on." I sighed. "It was hard at first, but I got used to it. Now whatever Cathy tells me to do, I'm ready for. It's just...easy now. I used to feel bad about killing and exploiting people, but I was trained not to care. It's a bitch, but someone's got to do it."

"Whoa." He breathed. "Fuck, I had no idea what it was really like."

I smiled. "What? Did you think it was going to be like James Bond, with escaping on skis, having sex with other spies, figuring out stuff in a few hours, and making incredibly lucky escapes? Because seriously, I almost died laughing at those movies!"

"Uhmm, will you attack me if I say yes?"

"Probably."

"Then no, I really didn't think that at all." He grinned. "Thanks for telling me that – and I'm sorry you had to go through it all practically alone. Tammy told you that Uncle Jon tried to help get you after Aunt Renee died, but that fucking idiot Aiden stopped us, right?"

"Yeah, she told me earlier. I understand everything now." With nothing left to say, I sunk back, picking up the weights again and starting my reps from the beginning. "Was it like this for you? Struggling to cope with emotion, and not really knowing what to do with yourself? Was it like that when you first changed, Ash?"

I didn't stop working, but I heard his weights hit the floor, and him starting to pad across to me. Suddenly the weights were taken from my hands and thrown to the side, with Ash sitting down next to me. "Yes, it was like that for a while. Trust me, I'm glad I had all my family there, otherwise I think I would've gone insane." He shuddered. "Rest assured that everyone knows what you're going through, and we'll all do everything we can to help you."

"Thanks, Ash." I couldn't help but sniff a little at him.

"What's up?"

"You remind me of Emmett." I said simply. He put his arm around me and let me put my head on his shoulder, and for a moment, I could almost pretend he was my loving big brother who would do anything for me. But everything has to end.

"I'm not your brother, but I'm your cousin, and I'll be just like Emmett, I promise, Bella."

It was always nice to pretend.

* * *

Jonathon had called everyone into the main camp area to speak to us all about going out somewhere later on in the evening. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I just stuck close to Ash so I could follow him after. Apart from this, I was getting the rituals of the pack pretty quickly: support everyone else, put the needs of the pack before everyone else, and anyone being selfish is likely to get smacked upside the head. And I was fitting in pretty well as well, so there was an added bonus.

"Alright, we'll just go out for a bit and then meet up outside the bar on the outskirts of town. Does everyone understand?" Uncle Jon, leader as ever said at the front of the group. Everyone agreed quickly. "Alright, see you guys later." Everyone ran out of the clearing towards the edge of the woods. We'd have all night to go on the town, to return here later, I knew that much.

I was just about to head about when I was stopped by someone touching my arm. I turned to see Lily stood next to me looking extremely sober, with a look that I recognized. It was one that said 'we need to talk'. Fuck.

"Bella, can I talk to you?" she sounded really sad, so I couldn't really say no without being the world's biggest bitch.

So, going against everything I wanted to do, I said "Sure, Lily." and waited for her to speak.

"Look, I know why you've been avoiding me." whoa, don't hold back there, Aunt Lily. "It's because I look like her, isn't it? I look like Renee. We always used to get comments on it." she looked down and smiled, but I could see the tears in her eyes at her words.

"Basically." I said awkwardly. "I didn't like you when we first met because I'd just done something, ahh, really stupid." Understatement. "And I was _so _angry at Renee. Then seeing you there, looking like her fu-, ahh, _freaking _twin, I couldn't handle it."

"I'm sorry for just appearing when it must have hurt you, having only lost your mother a year and a half ago roundabouts. And there's no need to cut out the swearing – I have 5 nieces and nephews around 17, and a daughter that's 18, I'm used to the swearing." She smiled. "Though I appreciate you thinking of me, anyway."

"My mom hated me swearing." I smiled at a memory of Renee, swatting me with the newspaper when I let slip a cuss word. It was the first smile at a memory of her for a long time.

"She was my little sister, and she meant the world to me." she smiled sadly. "And my only regret is that we never got to make up after our _stupid, _pathetic argument." She looked up at me eyes that were far away. "Bella, to pay my sister back for being so awful to her, I want to treat you the way she would've done if she were here. I'll treat you like my own daughter."

"Thanks, but I really don't need that." I sighed. "Esme tried it, and succeeded, but it took a hell of a long time, and she's like the opposite of you and my mom. I'd prefer having you as an aunt. And I'm sorry for being such an anti-social bitch to you – I can see now that it was totally uncalled for."

"Thank you." She pulled me into a tight hug, and I almost gasped. She even _hugged _like mom!

Wait, I said mom, instead of Renee, didn't I?

"Now, let's go out and get pissed!"

"What? Can't an almost-40 year old get drunk when she wants?"

* * *

Lily had gone to find Naomi when we exited the forest, whilst I just revelled in the feeling of a _city _again. It seemed like a lifetime since I had gone out on the town, just getting wasted with my friends and having a good time.

I was about to head into town when something caught my eye, making me stop and go back so I could have a better look. There in the parking lot behind the bar was a women being ganged up by 4 guys in leather. She was losing, badly.

I headed over quickly, jogging over the road and striding into the parking lot with the fury starting to build up inside me. She couldn't have been much older than me, yet these guys were like 30 year old and getting kicks out of frightening a poor girl to death.

I don't fucking think so.

"Hey!" I yelled, putting myself between her and the guys. "Leave her the hell alone you fucking pervert!" I yelled, staring the closest one down with some much hate and fury in my eyes that he actually stumbled back a bit. The others were different though, laughing and getting closer. I took step backward, but keeping myself in a protective stance in front of the girl at all times.

"You've got no idea who you're messing with, little girl." He grinned. "Now we'll just have both of you to play with."

"Actually, _you've _got no idea who _you're _messing with." I pushed him on each emphasised word, grinning as he stumbled back. The others just looked plain shocked and confused. "Now get out of here before I do some real damage to your worthless little bodies."

"You little cow!" he pulled his fist back to punch me, and I heard the girl behind me scream. Before his fist could connect with my face, I grabbed it and squeezed, grinning as he fell to the floor and his face contorted with pain. "What are you?" he whispered. The three other men had already run off.

"Hell." I grinned, yanking him to his feet and kicking him backwards quite a fair bit. "Now get the _hell _out of here before I finish you off. And if I ever see you here again, or if this girl gets any more trouble from you, I'll end you. Is that understood?"

"Yes!" he sobbed, running off and almost wrenching the door off of his car. I turned to the girl, who was watching me in wonder.

"How did you _do _that?" she asked in shock. "What are you?"

"Black belt in karate and a champion kick boxer." I grinned. That was a feasible lie, right? "Never been beaten yet!"

"Thank you so much! I was only waiting here for my dad - who's here right now – and they started on me!" a car pulled up into the lot behind me and tooted its horn. She looked torn. "Do you need a ride anywhere? Maybe home?"

"No, the night's just beginning for me." I smiled. "Not wanting to sound like a comic book hero or anything – but take care from now on, won't you?"

"I will. And I'll probably never know how you managed to do that, you're so tiny! But I have to go, so thank you once again, I really do appreciate it!" she hugged me quickly, engulfing me in perfume before running to her dads car, giving me a wave as she pulled away.

I smiled and turned to walk into the town. That had been a good deed and I'd helped someone, but I also helped myself. I had felt the power running through me as I'd gripped that fucker's fist, wanting to crush his bones to dust. I was becoming something more, but the people I cared about most weren't here to see it. Life's such a bitch, aint it?

**Now, pressing the review button will turn you into a vampire...go ahead and try it ;)**

**Charlie**

* * *

**So...what do you think? Sorry if that bit about the town didn**'t make sense! I honestly don't know what Colorado looks like – I made it up!


	17. You Belong To Me

**Right, just a quick filler chapter to get things started for the main plot – hope it's okay (:**

**Hey, have any of you guys read the new story: The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner? It's so sad! – just had to add that in ;)**

**Well anyway, this is a quick chapter, but it does start some stuff in the main story after this (:**

**Soundtrack: Farther Away - Evanescence**

* * *

It's been two months. Two months since I 'ran away' in Tammy's words, from Forks and everyone I love there. It only seems like yesterday since I was last at home, back in my crazy life where none of the puzzle pieces seemed to fit. But things are going well here with the pack, considering how new I am to everything. My training is long since over, and I'm fast becoming just a regular member of the pack. The others that ran out on us still haven't joined up with us, so it's just us Swan's now – it doesn't matter though, we're invincible.

Jonathon's being pretty cool with me, and letting me make some key decisions in the pack due to my two years as a spy. He's always all cool and understanding when my mood's a little dodgy, (_that _part of my 'newborn' phase isn't over yet, but he reckons it shouldn't last much longer) but he's a really great leader as well. You know what; he could probably give Cathy a run for her money! Though I wouldn't _dare _say that to her face – at the minute, I enjoy living!

Everything's cool with Ty now, more or less. He isn't being funny with me anymore, and he's treating me exactly like Tammy, his other niece now, so everything's fine. I learnt a hell of a lot of stuff from him; he's seriously one of the best trainers – if not the best – that I've ever worked with.

Lily and I are on really good terms now. I stopped seeing her as just a double of my mom a long time ago, and she's just my wacky aunt that really, _really _loves to get drunk, now. She helped me realize that my problems weren't entirely mom's fault, so I got rid of _that_ dark shadow that was hanging over my every thought.

Tammy's just the freaking coolest person on the planet. Everything fun that goes on around here involves her in a major way – she's fucking insane! She had me and all the cousins jumping into rivers from huge heights, then bitching afterwards that she didn't get much of a rush! But whenever I have to talk something out, she's there; ready to listen to me...

Ash, like I said at the beginning of my training, is probably my most favourite cousin. He's protective, but fun at the same time. He's not majorly protective like Emmett was – is? – but he's got my back more than the others anyway. Joshua is like his double, but more refined and less wacky and insane than Ash. And Casey? Well she's just her brother's double!

Naomi and I could be called sisters, we're that close now. I try not to compare her to Alice, but sometimes it's hard. In fact, it's hard not compare everyone to someone from Forks, and my 'past life' as everyone's so fond of calling it! Somehow I don't think they'd be too pleased with me if I ever wanted to go back, or if they knew I sometimes compared them to other people. Ash – Emmett. Casey – definitely Rosalie. Joshua – definitely Jasper. Naomi – Alice. Tammy – Cathy. Jonathon – Carlisle...

_Girl, you have major mental problems. _

I stopped in the middle of my run – something I always seemed to be doing. It was just the quickest and easiest way to get exercise – and slumped at the base of a huge maple tree. I was kinda getting sick of all the training – not even working at Zeiracorp required this much! Just those training days...oh they were a bitch...

But still, it's been just over two months since I've seen Edward or anyone else, and I find myself wondering how they are and what they've been up to since I left a lot of the time. It's just whatever I'm doing, they never seem to be far from my thoughts, and it's really starting to hurt. Have they moved onto to another town yet? Has Rosalie killed my loveable moron of a brother, Emmett yet? Is Alice still an insane shopaholic? And the big question: how the hell is Edward doing?

It sounds so self-centred and egotistical, but I can't help but wonder how he's doing without me. On the one hand, he could be awful, being a total recluse and a moody teenager, listening to hardcore rock in his bedroom with the door locked. But on the other hand, he could be completely over my leaving him, living it up as the prince of Forks high, dating some other new, pretty girl...

_Girl, are you trying to make yourself go insane? Stop thinking about him for crying out loud! Think of something _else_!_

Something else, something else...oh yeah! Ty's weird conversation with me the other day!

So he came up to me after training, and started apologizing for something...

"_Bella, can I talk to you for a moment? I promise it won't take long." He seemed kind of embarrassed, so I didn't give him any stick. _

"_Sure, what's up?"_

"_Look, Bella," he ran his hand through his hair and exhaled, seeming unable to say whatever the hell was so hard to say. "I'm sorry about being such a prize prick when we first met. I promise you that I did have a reason that I thought was feasible...but after your amazing progress lately, I've felt really bad about how I treated you."_

_Well hell that was certainly not what I was expecting. I thought he was going to tell me to leave or something. "What was the reason?" I asked slowly._

"_Renee." He said dazedly, staring at the floor. "She left us for someone she thought she loved, and I thought you might do the same once you got Edward back." He said in a voice full of shame. It was weird, seeing him like this._

"_Okay, number one, I forgive you for being such a douche. Number two, I don't break my promises - _ever. _And number three, my mom left because she was in love with my dad, not because she _thought _she was. They really did love each other – she only left him because she was scared people would come for her." He was shaking his head before I'd even finished._

"_No, your father was awful to her! He manipulated her, told her what to do, but made her feel as though he was doing it all out of love! Your father was a complete snake!" we both started shaking like we were going to change. How fucking _dare _he say stuff like that about Charlie?_

"_Charlie is a better man than you could ever hope to be!" I screamed._

_His face dropped of all his anger and the shaking completely stopped. It was like someone had pressed the off button on his emotions. "Charlie? Your father's name is Charlie?"_

"_...Yes. Why, what did you think his name was?"_

"_The man who Renee left us for, his name was Simeon." He said slowly. "I never knew she'd finished with him for your father, Charlie." He shook his head to clear it and smiled at me. "She made a good choice – Simeon was an awful man. I'd have killed him myself if it wouldn't have destroyed her."_

"_I'm a lot like her." I said firmly. "In the way that we're scared for the ones we love, we fight fiercely, have utmost family honour, will die to protect the ones we care about and never break our word. And you'd better remember that, or we really aren't going to get along, Uncle Ty."_

"_You're a strong girl, Bella Swan." He smiled. "And I'm proud to call you my niece – you're a Swan through and through, no doubt about it..."_

Ch'yeah, weird right? So, I'd barely spoken to the guy, and he comes out with the entire reason behind _why _we'd never spoken – he didn't trust me. Really boosts my self-esteem that does. And another thing I've found out about my mom – she was in a bad relationship with someone called Simeon. What kind of a name is _Simeon, _anyway? It seems like as soon as I figure something about my late mother, something else crops up! Charlie might know about him, but maybe it would hurt him if I spoke about her ex-boyfriends or even about her...

_You idiot! You're not even speaking to Charlie!_

Oh yeah, that.

Suddenly those thoughts were immediately gone as I sensed that I wasn't alone anymore – and the person interrupting me was unfamiliar – a stranger. I leapt up from the floor in an instant, my senses on hyper alert as I looked around the small area I was in. I was sure I'd heard footsteps that were unfamiliar to me a moment ago, but there didn't seem to be anything there now. Still, I kept my stance, circling and snarling under my breath to anything that might be there.

If I'd been completely human, there would've been no way that I would've heard the running steps until the person came out of the trees. As it was, I was ready when the...thing, dressed all in black came out of the trees at me, hands low, and trying to rush me. I stepped neatly out of the way, making – him? – stumble and almost fall. I grabbed the back of his jacket, throwing him against the tree with a huge crack. We were stood opposite each other, both waiting for the other to move so we could finish the other off.

But instead of attacking me again, he threw something at my feet and took off like a bat out of hell. Before I had a chance to follow, the small bag at my feet exploded, sending a fine powder into my face and into my lungs as I breathed it in; it made me eyesight go funny, sending stars in front of my vision. I coughed and almost choked up a lung, and by the time the dust cleared from my vision, the stranger was nowhere to be seen, sensed or heard.

"Fuck!" I breathed, searching wildly for anyone else that might be lurking about. When I was sure there was no one, I picked up the small bag and ran back to the camp, going double the speed I had been going before to get back as soon as I could.

My luck was with me as I got back to camp, as everyone was assembled, listening to Jonathon saying something. "Bella, what happened!" he shouted, striding over when I burst in, still coughing up a lung and trying to tell everyone what had happened. "Breathe slower." He said calmly. I did what he asked, and found myself able to speak after a moment.

"Some bastard tried to rush me in the woods! I held him off, but before I could give chase he threw this powder in my face and ran off!"I was more frustrated with myself for not sorting him out when I had the chance – I was too hard on myself all the time. There was nothing I could've done when I couldn't breathe right, but of course it was still my fault. Tammy was right, I'm too self-sacrificing.

"What?" his voice was deadly, but still in that calm tone. Fuck I wouldn't like to be on his bad side... "Who did this to you, Bella?"

"I think it was one of the guys who took the Cullen's! He chucked this powder in my face and then ran off – and he was dressed exactly like the guy me and Alice chased through the woods!"

"Right." He muttered under his breath. "Okay, Bella and Lily stay here at camp in case he comes here, the rest of you – move out and look for this fucker! No one messes with us – ever." he snarled the last part, and for a moment I saw the eyes of a puma reflected in his vivid green eyes – the eyes of a hunter. He ran out of the camp with the others not far behind.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Lily asked soothingly, putting her hand on my shoulder. "You could've been seriously hurt if it was those same people that grabbed the Cullen's in Washington!"

"I'm fine – thanks, Aunt Lil." She smiled at the nickname and dropped her hand.

"Are you sure?" she asked after a moment, when I started to walk away. I turned and gave her a funny look – what was she talking about? "I mean, are you okay being here? You haven't really been yourself lately, and I was wondering why." She had a sad smile on her face, but I saw the burning curiosity in her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. Come on, Bella, you can talk to me. What's got you so down that you aren't yourself?" would she really understand?

"Well, I..." the sun was setting in the distance; I concentrated on the way it reflected on the lake instead, casting blue/orange shadows into the trees and onto me. "I miss them." It was almost a sob. Standing here in the sunset by the lake, it was almost as if I was on another planet. And I _did _miss them. "I miss Edward, my brother, my best friends, and just...everybody! There are so _many _people in Forks that I care about, and I guess...I guess I just miss them all." I sad sadly, mainly talking to myself. "But whatever, I'm here now, and I'm going to make the most of it." I couldn't do anything to change the past now.

When I turned back to her, she looked furious, and seriously, I had no fucking idea why. So I just gave her a weird look, hoping she'd tell me _why _she was giving me a look that could probably cut through me.

"Is there a problem or something?" I asked slowly when she didn't say anything.

"Are we not good enough for you then, Bella? Are we not as good as your precious Cullen's, the ones you made us risk our lives to search for?" she hissed. I naturally got on the defensive – I hadn't even done anything wrong!

"I miss them, alright? They're my family as much as you are! Why the hell are you getting all pissed about this anyway, Aunt Lily?" she was seriously blowing this way out of proportion! She was proper glaring at me, and stalking by the side of the water as though she wanted to hit something. What the hell was wrong with missing everyone back in Forks? It was just ridiculous!

"Oh, so we aren't good enough for you, hmm? You'd rather be back in Washington with your father and your adoptive family? You don't need them, Bella! We're your _proper _family! We're your pack! Or is that simply not enough for you?" she sneered sarcastically.

"Shut your damn mouth, Lily!" I snarled, trying to get a grip on my emotions. "I fucking mean it!"

"Oh shut up, Bella!" she spat. "You're being a petulant child, wanting everything you can't have! Well Renee might not have told you this but I will: you don't get everything in life – you get what you're dealt!"

"Oh, because you've had such a hard life!" I screamed. It was too late, my control was probably at the bottom of the lake by now. "You've had it cushy! Hiding behind your big brothers and grown up nephews and nieces! Whereas I did what? Oh yeah, I was a spy at the age of _15, _with a dead mother, no family that wanted me, a blackmailing bastard of a stepfather, and having to go through all the hard shit with a guy only a few years older than me!" We stood opposite each other; her glaring at me, and me stood there desperately trying to stop the shakes that were rocking my body, wanting me to make the change from human to animal.

"Well, we looked in the surrounding area, but we couldn't find anything, not even a scent- what's going on here?" Ty's voice got stern as him and the others came up to us by the lake. Jonathon gripped my shoulders, which helped the shaking a bit, but all my body wanted to do was change.

"Oh nothing, Bella's just realizing that she can't have everything in the world." Lily said with a smug grin on her face.

With force that surprised him, I wrenched free from Jonathon's grip and strode towards her, and, like with Tanya, punched her full on in the face – but Lily wasn't as resilient as Tanya the vampire, and went down like a stone.

"Bella, what the hell!" Naomi yelled, rushing forward towards her whilst I crouched to the floor, clutching my stomach as the shakes became heaves, and I couldn't control it anymore. I changed right there, becoming my tiger form whilst everyone tried to figure out exactly why I was so angry.

"Bella! We _warned _you about restraint!" Ty yelled. I snarled and growled at him, stalking towards him and wanting to do as much damage as possible until I finally pulled myself together – he wasn't my enemy.

"It's alright, Bella, just calm down." Joshua said somewhere to the left of me. I didn't listen, though, heading straight into the woods and not looking back once, even as they all called and shouted after me. At one moment the air was disturbed behind me, as though someone was either changing or giving chase.

I decided I didn't care though, and pushed my legs as fast as they could go, realizing I'd screwed everything up yet again.

* * *

The bar was crowded when I got there, full to the brim with drunks that either didn't have work the next day, or didn't have a job in the first place. The bartender was nice enough – I'd been in here last night with Tammy, and we'd had a good time – I think, I don't really remember much. I took a seat at the bar and resisted the urge to bash my head against the sticky, cheap wood of the countertop.

I chose this place simply because it would allow me to forget, for a short time, the mess I'd made, yet again, and not having to think about where I was going to go now. Plus, it was quite far into this new city where we were staying, so no-one would be coming to look for me in here, asking my countless questions about why I'd punched my aunt full on in the face.

I hoped, anyway.

"What can I get you?" the bartender was a youngish guy, maybe around 30 with a black eye and several new scars on his face. "Let me guess – vodka? You look like you need something strong." He winked.

"Make it a double and you're spot on." I grinned weakly, watching him pour the drink.

"Here we are." He set in on the side in front of me. I picked up my hand to get some money but he grabbed it, shaking his head. "This one's on me, sweetheart. Enjoy."

"Thanks." I said, but he'd already gone. I picked up the drink, shaking my head at how it always seemed to end up at this – booze. "Here's to another fucking failure." I said to myself, shaking my head before downing it all in one go and slamming the glass back down on the side. "Hey, make it another!" I called to the bartender.

"Drinking doesn't solve anything – you should know that." An uncertain voice said behind me. Wait, don't I know that voice? I turned to tell him where he could get off and froze, the words stuck in my throat. Either Edward was stood right behind me, staring at me in shock and confusion, or I was seeing things after one drink. "Edward?" I could barely believe my eyes.

"Bella?" he sounded as confused as I felt.

Well, maybe not everything's gone badly today, I thought, as a huge smile spread across my face.

* * *

**Oops, Bella's not doing so great yet again - I hope myself that things get better for her! She's deserves it, right!**

**Okay, before any of you say it: Edward is not a crazy stalker, okay? :L You'll find that out next chapter – oopsie!**

**Ahh well, review me now? ;)**

**Charlie**

4


	18. SoI Missed You

**Well hi there (:**

**This isn't an action chapter, but I hope it's kinda sweet – you can't really rate it when you wrote it yourself. That's why we have reviews! I hope I get quite a few for this one, because it's kinda nice (:**

**But yeah, here's the next chapter (:**

**Soundtrack: Iris – Goo Goo Dolls**

* * *

"You're really here, right?" I leant forward and whispered to him. "Because if you aren't, say something, because I'm going to end up getting sectioned." His eyes sparkled with humour, but I noticed that they were pretty dark – not the deep amber I'd gotten used to. "And if you are really here, I'm going to tell you that you need to hunt, honey."

"Well," he said, taking the stool beside me and sitting down with grace that a guy of his size really shouldn't have. "I am really here; you aren't crazy – at least not completely." I smacked his arm. "And yes, I do need to hunt, but I'm not going anywhere now that I've see you. Unless...you want me to go?" he raised his eyebrow, faking nonchalance, but I saw how stiff his body had become.

"Hell no!" I said loudly, getting a few strange looks. "At least, not until you really have to. I missed you." I said sadly, probably looking like a little lost kid.

"Well I missed you, too, Miss Swan." He smiled. "And before you say it: no, I haven't been looking for you since you left, because you asked me not too. Besides, I didn't have a clue where to start. I've just been going from state to state, not really doing anything. I just had to get away from the all the pitying thoughts from my family and in Charlie and Emmett's case, the occasional thought of resentment and blame towards me." He sighed and shook his head.

"Well I'll deal with them when I get back – _if _I go back." I smiled. "And anyway, I'm glad that you didn't, because up until today, things were going pretty well. But I always wondered how everyone was back home, and how y'all were getting on." I sighed. "There was just so much on my mind! You, Alice, my brother, my dad, the others that I left behind, the shit I left Cathy to deal with, Caleb in Alaska," his eyes hardened, but I didn't say anything. Now was not the time for an argument with Edward; it had just been too long since I last saw him, and I couldn't bear to lose him now. "And just all the mess I caused when I was back home." I looked down at the grimy floor, letting my hair conceal my face. It was at least as long as my waist, now, and shielded my face in case I did cry.

"Bella, come on, you didn't cause any mess!" he lifted my head up and pushed my hair back behind my ears, framing my face with his palms. "That's better – show how beautiful you are." He winked. "But seriously, what mess are you talking about? All I know is that you were deciding whether you wanted to be with me or Caleb, and you chose me; you saved mine and my families lives, and you were there for Alice when she didn't have anyone else. And Cathy can handle herself, you know that."

I just shrugged. I'd always blame myself for everything, even when people pointed out that not everything was my fault. Guess it was my nature or something...

"Well I _definitely _have a problem now." I teased, grinning at the confusion on his face. "I have a stalker!"

"What-me?" he said after a moment of looking around the bar. I couldn't help but laugh at him! He was so freaking _adorable! _"I'm not a stalker! _You're _the stalker! I've been sat in here for around two hours because of the sun, and then you show up!"

"I'm surprised you let me finish one drink, to be honest." It was no secret that Edward always freaked when I did something that didn't help my health. Drinking, smoking, partying, driving...basically everything, actually. "Hey, I'm sure you'll be happy about this – I haven't had a cigarette since I left Forks." I said proudly. I hadn't actually thought about it before, but I didn't actually have any cravings for cigarettes like I always used to. And now that I didn't have any, I didn't miss them.

"Well done!" he grinned. "I'm proud of you – I mean it." I did. He hated my smoking more than he hated Caleb, and that was saying something. "Look, do you want to get out of here? I think it's a clear night." He said half-hopefully, looking at me from under his lashes the way he knew I couldn't resist. He just looked so damn...smoking hot.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." I smiled. I jumped from the barstool, smiling at the hand that had reached out automatically to steady me, although I didn't need it – I was more than human now. But it was nice to know that after everything, he was still the same old protective Edward Cullen who would fucking die for me.

We both got some funny looks from people sat around the room. I got glares from the ho's wearing skin tight leather in the far corner for being with a guy that could make a girls panties drop with one look, and he was getting glares from some guys next to him, probably because of me, not that I was saying anything about myself. He looked down at me and winked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he caught eyes with one of the guys sat at the table. I couldn't help but laugh as he held the door open for me.

"Nice thinking, batman."

"Pfft, I didn't do it for you! I did it because those girls staring at me were freaking me out! You should've heard their thoughts." He dramatically shuddered.

"So... Where are we headed to now?" I grinned, looping my arm through his and heading off down the street. It was quite busy, but nowhere near as bad as it was in the daytime. The sun had just about set; enough so that it wasn't dark yet, but Edward wasn't affected by it. We – damn it felt good saying _we _– were far enough into the city that we couldn't see the forest, so that little guilt trip wasn't with me. Anyway, there was no way I could go back to my family...not after everything I'd done.

"Bella?" Edward's voice was loud by my ear, and made me jump. "Sorry, but I answered your question, and you seemed in a world of your own...something wrong?"

I just shrugged and smiled sadly, concentrating on where I was going. "So, where _are _we headed seeing as though I was completely rude and blanked you?"

"Just around, I guess, there's nowhere I really want to go." He sighed. "I just need to talk to you, you know? We have things we've put away for too long, and it really is time we had a long talk, Bella." He looked and sounded more grown up and adult than I'd ever seen him before. His eyes were unbearably sad, and just the sight of them made my heartbeat in fear of this 'big talk'. But he was right, it had been too long.

"Yeah, you're right, and we shall talk...here." I said, plonking myself down on a ledge in front of a fountain before a park. He sat down next to me, and suddenly there was no city in the background, no beeping horns or bright lights...it was just us and this damn fountain.

"Can I go first?" he asked.

"Hell yes, I'd rather wait."

He smiled sadly, taking one of my hands in his and randomly playing with it. I knew him – he did it for an excuse not to look at me, and that meant he had important stuff to say.

_Well shit._

"Look, Bella, I don't care about all that shit you said when you left two months ago, I really don't."...well, I didn't expect _that. _I was thinking more on the lines of 'go to hell you hoebag'. "And I really want to save our relationship – or whatever's left of it anyway. I don't care about what happened in Alaska, I really don't! Yeah, I was totally pissed that you went and kissed your ex-boyfriend like that, but it's him I blame! And besides, I'd really hurt you only the night before...but what I'm trying to say is that I don't ignore fate." He laughed darkly. "You told me to never come and find you – to never even think about looking for you, and I didn't. But here we are – it's been five minutes and I'm already wrapped around your little finger!" he smashed his hand down on the marble, cracking it cleanly down the middle. He looked mad as fuck.

"Edward, calm down!"

"Why should I?" he yelled, getting some weird looks from people close by. "I fucking love you, and you just play me like a toy! Is this just a game to you?"

"No! Of course not, I-"

"Then what, huh? What am I to you?"

"The man I love, the man I chose, and the one I'm going to spend the rest of eternity with." I laughed, cupping his face in my palms and smiling at him. "I love you, really I do. But if you think that all I'm doing is messing you around, why are you still here?"

"You know why." He scowled. "You own me, whether or not we're together. Which is why I asked you what you want from me; because I need to know whether or not we're over, Bella. Seriously, I need to know now. And I'm sorry if it's hard on you, but it's hard on me, too-"

"Edward!" I interrupted. "Have you not listened to a word I've said? I said that I chose you, and that you're the one I want to spend the rest of eternity with!" I laughed.

"Sorry, I just-" he shook his head and laughed with me. Well, I was glad he wasn't pissed at me anymore. I had no idea how much he cared about me, enough to still give a damn when he thought I was just using him.

_Just using him, _even thinking about it sounded disgusting.

"I get it – I really do." I sighed. What was next? I asked him so.

"Well...I guess I ask you out again." He winked. "We never really split up, but I suppose two months without any contact, you don't need an official break up...so. Bella Swan, will you be my girlfriend?" he sounded so serious, but his smile was mocking. Ass.

"What would you do if I said no?" I teased.

"Hmm, I think I would kiss you, and then push you in the fountain and laugh." He smiled. "Do you wanna go in the fountain, Bella? Huh, do yah, do yah?" he shook my arm as though he was going to push me in, and I shrieked.

"Yes! I'll be your girlfriend; just don't push me in the water! Cats and water...it doesn't work!" I giggled.

"That's your excuse?" he scoffed. But his arm was clasped on mine anymore; it was around my shoulders gently. That was what I loved about him – he could be the biggest tease and total ass when he wanted to, but then he was sweet and loving at other times.

And I fucking loved him for it.

"Ugh, don't you just think that sometimes we're the unluckiest couple on the planet?" he groaned. "Seriously? We're like...the horror version of Romeo and Juliet. I swear I'm gonna kick ass if our relationship ends in disaster." He shook his head, all serious before looking down at me and grinning. "But I'm sure we can make it work – we always seem to."

"We do." I smiled. Seemed like we either always facing trouble and getting through it – hell, I'd freaking _died _– or arguing and making up. "But seriously – 'the horror version of Romeo and Juliet'? How does that work out?"

"Vampire and shapeshifter fall in love. Shapeshifters father hates vampire," I had to laugh at that. Charlie really had seemed to despise Edward when he found out we were getting married! "Vampire hurts Shapeshifters feelings. Vampire and Shapeshifter are reunited...it's not quite Romeo and Juliet, but you get my drift."

I didn't quite smile. Yeah, we were talking as though we were back together, and I _had _said yes when he'd asked me to get back together with him, but there was something I had to say to him first. It couldn't wait any longer – I'd put it off for too long.

"Edward, we have to talk about Caleb." He stiffened. "See, that's what I mean! No matter what happened, he's still like my best friend, so we have to talk about what happened." Fuck, fuck, fuck talking.

"I blame him completely." He said through gritted teeth. "I've known he was still in love with you ever since we first saw him that day when he picked you up from school, but I ignored it, believing you loved me more. But then he...ugh! He kissed you when he knew you were the most distant from me! Bastard." He muttered under his breath.

"This is what I mean! We need to sort this!" I said, exasperated. This wasn't going well already. "Look, the kiss with Caleb was a major, major mistake on my part, and I've felt awful about it ever since it happened! I love him, but it's nowhere near as strong as I love you, and it's just...completely different!" I almost growled.

"Bella...I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'll take it anyway." He dodged as I went to punch him in the arm. "And I'll forgive you for the kiss if you forgive me for saying I didn't trust you..." I pretended to think about it. "Oh come _on!_" he whined.

"Alright, we'll forgive each other, and we'll get back together." I laughed.

"For real?"

"For real."

"Fiancée?"

"You slipped that one in didn't you!" I laughed. "Yes, you're still my fiancée."

"Good. Well, now that all the talking's over, I can do this." He smiled and leant forward, and I knew exactly what he was going to do.

He kissed me for the first time in over 2 months, and _damn _it felt like a homecoming. It was everything I remembered from being in Forks – the thing I looked forward to, apart from him himself, when I came home from missions or training. His strong arms around my shoulders and waist, and just the feeling of _him, _right there with me by the fountain.

And as the sun set in the background, everything went back to the way it should be. Me and Edward, with no drama in the middle.

* * *

"Do you remember when Emmett went to punch Jasper in the head, and he smashed Esme's favourite vase?" Edward chuckled. We'd been talking about random, funny times from when I'd first met Edward, with some embarrassment on my part, ever since I woke up in the hotel room Edward's had gotten last night.

_Last night..._

"How could I forget?" I snickered. "I thought she was going to murder him! But that was just a funny day all around. Actually – anything to do with my brother is just plain funny."

So yeah, you didn't have to be a genius to figure out what had happened after Edward and I had gotten back together last night. Wasn't _that _like the whole perk of making up, anyway? But I'd woken up this morning lying on Edward's chest with his hands running through my hair. He didn't notice that I was awake for a few moments, which wasn't like him, but I kept forgetting to ask him.

"Edward?" I decided to ask then. "Is everything okay? I mean, you don't really seem like yourself today. Wanna talk about it?"

"After all the talking last night?" he teased. "Yeah, I suppose I'd better." He said grimly. I became more alert instantly just by his tone. "It's just that my family, along with Charlie and Catherine Weaver are trying to work out what exactly happened when we were taken in the woods." He scoffed and shook his head. "It's been two months, and we still don't know what happened! I mean, one minute we're running through the woods looking for the others, then we've got all this powdery stuff in our faces, and the next minute we're waking up in an underground basement watching you and the shapeshifters fall through the ceiling! And I'll tell you something – waking up is fricking weird when you haven't been to sleep in almost 100 years!"

"Alice hasn't seen anything?"

"She can't." He sighed. "There's absolutely nothing; there never has been."

"Oh my God!" I gasped. "I just realized what you said about the powder! Some guy tried to rush me in the woods yesterday, and when I blocked him he threw all that powdery stuff in my face! But it must've been different because I didn't get knocked out..."

"What happened to him?" he asked sharply.

"He ran off. The others tried to find him, but there was no trace. It was just like when we were trying to find you in the woods, but there was nothing there – not even your scent!" I thumped the pillows in frustration.

"Hmm," he said gently, winding a strand of my hair around his middle finger. "Can we talk about something else? I'll deal with all that when I get back to Forks...about that, where are you going? Back to your pack?" he said it in an off-hand voice, but I heard the strain. I didn't want to leave him as much as he didn't want to leave me.

"I have to see them, but I think we're all going to have to go back to Forks, the pack included. This fight involves them, now, if that guy was going straight to them after he'd finished with me."

"We'll go and see him later." He promised.

The sunlight came in through the window, then, reflecting on Edward's toned body and sending rays of light all across the room. "Dang, I hate that. Makes me look like a limited edition Barbie." He said under his breath.

"You look _pretty." _I teased. He laughed, causing something that had been tucked by the side of his neck to fall onto his chest, and I immediately stopped laughing. Lying there, just beside his heart, was my black and silver engagement ring on the same chain that I'd picked up from the forest. He was silent as I reached a hand out and touched it gently, poking the large diamond in the centre and the smooth black stones around the outside.

"I guess I just never took it off." He shrugged.

I undid the clasp at the back of the chain and held the ring in my palm. Put it on? Wear it as a necklace? Give it back? Throw it out of the window?

"Well, I _did _say you were still my fiancée." I said under my breath. I heard his intake of breath as I slipped it onto the third finger of my left hand and winding the chain around my wrist like a bracelet. "And how _dare _you not give me back what's mine." I laughed, poking him.

"My apologies." He smiled, looking much, _much _happier than he had been when I'd first seen him in the bar last night. "So, going to see Jonathon today, I presume?"

"We need to." I sighed.

"Hey, it'll be fine." He smiled.

"I punched my aunt in the face!" I said sarcastically. He burst out laughing, trying to conceal it but totally failing. "It's not funny! They're probably plotting my death right now!"

"What is it with you and punching people in the face – wait, I don't want to know." He was _still _laughing! "But it doesn't matter – we'll go and see him. And if he tries to kill us, we'll run like hell, okay?"

"Okay." I grinned as he leant down for yet another kiss...

* * *

The trees blocked the sun, so Edward didn't sparkle like a 6 year old girl as we walked hand in hand to the camp that we'd been staying at for less than a week. We never stayed in one place for too long, and I hoped that the pack would still be here instead of moving onto another place.

"Are you ready?" he mouthed to me as we got outside the camp. Yeah, they were still here alright, and eating lunch by the sounds of it. I nodded my head to him and lead us through the final part of the trees, right where everyone was looking at us with either grins or rolling eyes.

"Good afternoon, Bella." Ty said politely. Too politely. "You ran off yesterday, and we didn't know whether to wait for you to come back or move onto another place." There it was, that frown that made him look like he was talking to a petulant child. "I'd speak to you myself, but my brother wants to talk to you alone." He rolled his eyes and got up, straightening his incredibly designer top and turning the others. "Come on, let's get out of here." He nodded to me and Edward each as he left, as did the others. Of course, my cousins had to either swear or stick their tongues out or something, and did try hard not to laugh.

"Bella," he said calmly when Ash had finally gone. "Sit down here. You too, Edward." we did as he said and sat down on the logs in opposite him, still hand in hand. He quirked his eyebrow at that, but didn't comment.

"I'm sorry." Was all I could say, hanging my head. Uncle Jon might be family, but he was still the pack leader, and had to be obeyed. "If you'll let me explain-"

"No need, child." He smiled. "Though I admire your willingness to be honest, Lily already told us how awful she was to you, and told us she deserved that _brilliant _right hook to the nose!" he laughed. "Did Renee teach you that? I'll bet she did. I was the one who taught her." There was a proudness in his voice that left me no doubt that he had loved his youngest sister very, very much.

"Yeah, she said it was to fend off unwanted boys." I laughed. Renee and her teachings about men...

"_If a boy comes onto you when you don't want him to, Bella, just give him a good punch in the gut or nose, a kick in the groin and then run like hell, laughing your head off as you go!_

"Well, I'm sure you're not here to apologize." He laughed. "You wouldn't be a Swan if you were! So, I'm assuming it's to do with you and Edward. How are you doing anyway, Mr Cullen?"

Edward looked taken aback. "I'm fine, thank you, sir. The powder didn't really do anything, and I wasn't really hurt."

"That's good." He nodded, turning back to me. "We went into the city early this morning, and Ash, being Ash, went on a computer somewhere, just to see if anyone had spotted us in our forms – we do that at regular intervals. Anyway, he found out that strange things were going on in Seattle, Washington, and he immediately thought of that company you worked for." He said seriously. "We're going back to check it out in a few days."

"That's what my family are doing!" Edward said. "They're trying to find those people who took us a few months back, but there's just no luck."

"Yes, we'll all head back then. Well, Bella, are you going to tell me why you came to see me?"

"Yeah. Obviously Edward and I are back together, and I was wondering if-"

"If I'd have any problem with it?" I nodded my head. "No, there's no problem- don't look so surprised! I approve, as long as it doesn't affect your loyalty to the pack, and you're still one of us." I nodded my head eagerly. Was that it? I was expecting something like eternal servitude, or something.

"I agree." I placed my hand on my heart and nodded deeply to Jonathon, who did the same in return.

"Good. Now that that's settled, you can help us pack up. We're going to Washington, kids."

Home. I'm going home! And my fiancée would be close by my side.

* * *

**Well? I tried to make Edward kinda different and funny, because he's all depressed and moody in the books – oh, and totally controlling! And my Bella is nothing like Stephanie Meyer's, the only similarity is the name ;)**

**But yeah, what did you think of them getting back together? Or the decision to go back to Forks? Let me know!**

**Charlie**


	19. Join The Fight, Man

**...I have nothing to say except enjoy this chapter (:**

**Soundtrack: Together Again - Evanescence**

* * *

"How the hell are you _doing _that?" All I did was grin at Edward as he looked down at me in shock.

We were running through the woods, and of course, Edward hadn't seen me since I'd changed, and he didn't know what I was like now. He didn't know how fast I could run. He didn't know how strong I was. He didn't know that I couldn't take on 3 grown men and win – not that I couldn't do that before! He didn't know that I was more dangerous, more deadly, yet more controlled than I had ever been in my life – but he was starting to see it, now. And I was pretty sure he was freaked out.

"One of the perks of being able to turn into a tiger." I winked at him. Yeah, there were perks, but I suppose there was an...urge to change as well. The last time I'd changed was like three days ago, and already I felt like I _needed _to change, like I _had _to. "What's your excuse?"

"Perk of being a vampire." He smiled. "But seriously, are you planning on heading to Canada today? Because I'm pretty sure that's where we're going to end up."

"Edward, we're in Mississippi!"

"I know." He said grimly.

I came to a sudden stop in the middle of running, stopping just outside the camp. I'd been heading in a circle to come back here, but the 'shifters were so good at hiding their scent that Edward hadn't realized it. We were as good at hiding our tracks and making ourselves disappear as the vampires did – maybe even better. We didn't have to hide any drained bodies.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now, we help grab the bags." I laughed, walking into the clearing and seeing almost everything packed up and ready to go. Casey and Naomi had been in the city today, buying everything they needed (with Edward's credit card, of course) for the trip to Washington; because of course, no one knew how long all the shit going down there would be going on for.

I picked up one of the new suitcases that was labelled as Naomi's and headed out with the others. I saw Edward taking one of Lily's cases from her, and her smiling gratefully from the corner of my eye, but I didn't look at her properly. I was still mega pissed at her for what she'd said to me before I'd stormed off and met Edward two nights ago.

_Bitch._

"Everyone ready?" Uncle Jon asked, taking one look back at the clearing to make sure that there were no traces of us left. There were nods and murmurs of agreement round the group. "Right, just head straight to the airport and wait for the rest in the lobby. I don't care which route you take, as long as you're all there in plenty of time." He rolled his eyes at me and inclined his head towards Ash.

"Hey, Ash, you come with me and Edward, okay?" he agreed, and we were all out of there, running as fast as we could through the forest towards the city. We'd get a cab to the airport from there – there was nowhere for us to run in the city without getting spotted.

"Are things really that bad? In Washington, I mean." Ash asked Edward as we ran. I focused. I wanted to know as much as he did. And my dad – my human father – was right there in the middle of what Edward had made sound like hell.

"Bodies are turning up all over the place." He answered grimly. "At least 5 in Forks, another 2 in La Push, and around 16 in Seattle. The police in Seattle think there's a mass murderer on the loose, everyone in Forks thinks there's _another _rabid animal, and in La Push – well, they're tribal, aren't they? They know that something really bad is out there – and they don't think it's a vampire or a werewolf."

We stopped talking for a little while as we snuck out of the trees and into an alleyway, making sure no one spotted us. It would raise a few questions if three teenagers were walking out of the woods with suitcases in their hands. But we made it onto the street and flagged a taxi pretty quickly, and soon we were on our way to the airport and could speak again. Well, after I'd closed the little visor between the passenger and drivers seats sharply. The driver gave me a dirty look, but I ignored him. Ass.

"So what do _you_ think it is? You and the others I mean. It's gotta be something weird if it's killed so many people, and Alice can't see it or what it's doing."

He nodded slowly, breathing deeply. It must be bad – Edward never lost his cool. "Yes, it's bad." He said quietly. Even though the visor was down, the driver was trying to listen in. Edward spoke low enough that only Ash and I could hear him. "Not only are the people dying, but no one knows what they're dying _of. _At least if it was a vampire, you could tell because the cause of death would either be loss of blood, or a broken neck, and _then _loss of blood. A werewolf would rip the body to pieces," like Brian, I shuddered. "so that's a no. It can't be human, because we would've caught a scent, and Alice would've seen them."

"And it's really doubtful that a human could knock out, drag away and chain up 7 vampires." Ash pointed out.

I just looked from one boy to the other. This was getting seriously fucking weird, and I wasn't even in Washington yet! So far we had a mass murderer that was able to mysteriously kill humans, as well as avoid being caught by both humans and vampires, and able to kidnap vampires as well.

_Well shit on a stick._

We didn't speak again until we pulled up outside the airport and Ash paid the fare with the money he had in his pocket. Edward would probably be paying for the plane tickets, not that he minded, so Ash didn't mind.

Edward put his free arm around my shoulder as we walked through the main doors into the airport, trying to locate everyone else. Only Lily and Tammy stood in the shade of a pillar not far from us, but I didn't want to go there.

"Edward, I've got all the passports – we'll go get tickets." Ash was frowning at me. He knew exactly why I wanted to go and get tickets with Edward. But what was I supposed to say to Lily? 'Oh, don't worry about it, Aunt Lil! I don't mind that you called me spoilt and selfish, and said that I couldn't have both you guys and the Cullen's as my family. Oh, and call me a petulant child all you want! I don't mind!'...yeah, right.

"You don't forgive easily – how could I have forgotten?" Edward said as we waited in the line for the tickets. "You're really doing well at the whole 'stay away from the bitchy aunt' thing."

"Yeah, well, she deserves it." I shrugged.

"Yeah, I can imagine. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we're finally going home, and as a couple as well." He rolled his eyes. "So much freaking drama."

"Don't even go there. Everything's a drama! I'd _kill _to be back in Mr. Phelps English class – even though he was the most boring man on the planet. Or Mr. Rubric's algebra class; he was a mardy old git, wasn't he?" I shook my head at myself. Yeah, I'd rather be back in the classroom, head on the desk, pretending to take in the teachers words than be in the situation I was in. Hell, I'd actually take part and listen to the lesson if it meant that I didn't have to solve any more murders. It was getting tiresome, and I was wishing for the day it would be over, and I was only just 17!

Edward got the tickets fast, showing the passports briefly and paying with his shiny black credit card. I offered to pay half, but he gave me one of those 'are you crazy?' looks. He had a thing about money – he was so old fashioned that he didn't allow me to buy anything when he was with me, he paid for everything. But I suppose he is actually 100 years old, round about.

"When's the flight?" Ty asked as we got back to the pack, which was now fully assembled.

"In two hours, which gives us enough time to check in and sort ourselves out a little bit." We'd stayed at the camp overnight, and I hadn't had a chance to go out and get a shower this morning, so I wasn't exactly my best.

"Go through security, meet later at the plane." Jon said orderly, handing out the tickets and passports Edward had given him. "And for goodness' sake don't miss it." he rolled his eyes and headed off, with his family in his wake.

"Two hours – plenty of time." Edward smiled, taking my hand and starting to stroll through the airport. He was right, that _was _plenty of time. "We can be alone for a while before we're trapped on a tiny plane for 6 hours with your family." he grinned.

"6 hours!" I groaned. "I'll get off in Houston, and I won't get back on!"

"Mind if I join you?" he laughed as he swung my hand back and forth. Ash and Josh had taken the suitcases. "But anyway, after that little display of running this morning, I have some questions to ask."

"Like what?"

"Like, what have you been up to whilst I've been wandering aimlessly across the USA?" I gave him a look. "I'm honestly curious! Is it so wrong to wonder what my girlfriend's been doing whilst I haven't been there?" his eyes grew sad when he said he hadn't been there. It wasn't his fault; it was mine, and I told him so. "Does it matter? Go on; tell me what you've been up to."

So I did, starting from when I first changed to when I left my pack and met Edward again. And he told the truth, he was merely curious. He listened intently, never saying what he was thinking, and I think that was good. It felt _good _to finally speak to someone about what was going on.

"Well, seems like you've had quite a time away from me." he teased as we left security and headed towards our terminal. We still had plenty of time, but we were walking really slow; slow enough that people got pissed and hurried around us. I just wanted to talk, holding hands and laughing like a normal couple before we were thrown into chaos when we got back to Washington.

"I had a good time – you just didn't happen to be there. But whatever, does it matter? We can put all that shit behind us now, we agreed. We'll never bring up what happened before I left ever again, agreed?" I said mock sternly, but I was dead serious.

He put a hand on his heart. "I promise I will never bring it up again."

"And Isabella Swan is the best girlfriend in the whole damn world."

"...And Isabella Swan is the best girlfriend in the whole damn world."

"Yell it – really loud. I _dare _you." I laughed. What? I wanted to have fun whilst I could.

"Are you serious?" I nodded my head. "Fine." He rolled his eyes. "ISABELLA SWAN IS THE BEST GIRLFRIEND IN THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD!"

I was laughing my head off as we seriously picked up the pace. We were getting some seriously weird looks and a few death glares, but what did it matter?

"Can't believe you made me do that." He muttered under his breath as we approached our gate. People were queuing up to board already, and I realized that maybe we'd been dawdling for a little too long.

"Can all first class passengers please make their way to the aircraft for immediate boarding? Thank you." The hostess at the front of the queue said. Edward started off walking to the front of the queue and I rolled my eyes. Trust him to get the first class seats for us all on the plane. But I suppose when you have practically infinite money, you go first class for everything.

As he showed the tickets, I sensed more than heard the pack walk up and stand behind me. Sure enough, Joshua was stood directly behind me, rolling his eyes as he showed me his ticket.

"Looks like you're marrying into some money, huh, Bells?" he grinned as I went to elbow him in the stomach.

"Thank you, sir, and have a nice flight." The hostess said as Edward took back our ticket stumps and his passport. We walked into the small tunnel that lead to the plane, leaving behind Mississippi and everything that had happened there. I was on my way home, to deal with problems I really shouldn't have left to everyone else.

I boarded the plane, and I didn't look back.

* * *

Being October, it was quite dark at 9PM, and the sky was practically fully dark as we flew over Seattle. The pilot had just announced that we were starting to land – I'd be home in around 15 minutes. Even being here, in the airspace above Seattle, watching the blinking lights and knowing that some of them belonged to Zeiracorp, it was surreal. I still couldn't get my head around it.

"Esme will absolutely thrilled to see you, Bella." Edward whispered to me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

It was just us two, as the others were sat away from us, and it was nice to relax and talk for the last time for goodness knows how long. I'd fallen asleep sometime, he'd made sure I knew _that, _but he didn't mind. He didn't have to tell me to let me know that he'd been watching over me as I slept. I hadn't worried about anything happening to me whilst I slept in a long, long time now.

"I can't wait to see her. I can't wait to see all of them." I smiled as the plane gave a slight lurch downwards. "But I have to go and see Cathy before we go to Forks."

He nodded. "Yeah I presumed that's what you were going to do, that's why I didn't tell them to meet us at the airport."

I leant into his arm and watched the lights outside get bigger as we got closer to the ground. It was magickal, in its own way. The lights were artificial, but seeing the city from up here, it didn't seem that way. And being night-time, all the nasty, grimy buildings were hidden from view, cloaked by a thick black comforter. Yet there was something around here, something that was intent on death and destruction.

The plane finally touched down smoothly, the tires squealing on the tarmac as we landed in SeaTac airport. I still couldn't believe we were home, even as we taxied and parked up outside the gate and the lights came back on. I stood along with everyone else, stretching my aching muscles – the stop in Houston seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Have you got everything?" Edward took my small bag from me and helped me up gently, waiting for everyone else to go before we left the plane. I nodded my head.

The others were waiting for us just at the end of the long walkway off of the plane, just before the baggage claim area. I didn't have a suitcase, as all the things I had bought when I was with the pack was lumped with everyone else's stuff. The pack stood farthest away from the conveyor belt, where tired and impatient human's waited for the bags that hadn't been unloaded from the plane yet. What would they think if they knew they were in a building with 9 people who could change into animals and a vampire who was older than their grandparents?

"Are we headed for your house then, Bella?" Ty asked as we got to them.

"No, you guys should head for Edward's place. You can't miss it, it's freaking huge and the scent of vampire will be intensely strong. Edward and I are going to where I work- well, used to work, to see someone there. We'll meet up with you in a few hours."

"Are you sure you don't want us to go with you?" Uncle Jon asked gently.

"No, that's fine." I smiled. "I'll meet up with you in a few hours. Everyone knows who you are, just explain where Edward and I have gone." One nod and they were gone, some to get bags and the rest out to wait outside the airport.

We got a cab right away, as Zeiracorp was at the other end of the city to where the airport was. Though it seemed like only minutes after we had set off from SeaTac that we arrived at Zeiracorp. I looked up at the towering silver building with the giant black letters with a smile on my face.

Another place that felt like home.

"Whoa, I didn't realize it was this big." Edward said in shock as we walked in the main front doors.

"You haven't been here before?"

"Never. I guess I always wondered, but I didn't want to ask." He shrugged.

"Well then: Edward Cullen, welcome to Zeiracorp." I grinned. Maybe it was silly, but I couldn't help but show off a little. This company was half mine. I half owned it, and all the decisions made here ran by me. Well, at least they _did. _I highly doubted Cathy was pleased at my two month disappearance. She knew Alice, though, so maybe Alice had explained everything.

"Good evening, Kelly." I grinned at the shocked receptionist, who was looking at me like I was a ghost.

"Miss Swan! It's been so _long! _Ms. Weaver is up in her office, ma'am. Security here is still as strong as ever, so you'll have to show your ID card when you get to the elevators."

"Will do. And Kelly – nice to see you again."

"It's been strange without you, ma'am." She nodded as we walked away to the elevator, where Johnny was once again stood guard. Like Kelly, he looked shocked out of his skin when I approached him, my ID card out and ready.

"M-ma'am." He stuttered. "You-you're back? For good? It's been so long!"

"I know. And yes, I'm back for good." I smiled. There was no way that I could leave here again. I didn't know why, but the place seemed different to the last time I had been here, over two months ago.

Johnny let us into the elevator with a 'goodnight ma'am' and a smile. I guess people really had noticed my disappearance.

"Well, I have no doubts that you're the boss around here." Edward said dazedly. "I didn't realize how much authority you have!"

"Perk of being a spy." I winked as the doors opened onto the top floor, and we headed left. My office was shut up and locked, I found when I tried the handle. My key was in the backpack that Edward was holding, but I'd be able to go in there later. Right now, I needed to see Cathy and face up to whatever punishment I was going to get. Because although I was a big shot boss, and I half-owned the company, Cathy still made the decisions about what I did.

"Here goes nothing." I said quietly, knocking on the door twice and walking in.

Cathy hadn't even heard me come in, which wasn't a good thing to start off with. She was sat at her glass desk, but she wasn't looking at the pictures in the manila file in front of her, or even at her laptop like she always was when I came in here. She was watching Savannah playing on the carpet at the other side of the room. She had Lego scattered all around her and was staring intently at a book opened in front of her. Cathy's eyes were harrowed and extremely sad and worn out; she looked more stressed and final than I ever seen her.

"Catherine." I said quite loudly, but gently as I closed the door behind me and gestured for Edward to move away from me slightly.

Her head snapped up to meet my gaze, and I saw the shock in her eyes; but there was also something else there. Something like...relief?

"Bella Swan?" It was a question, as she stood and made her around the table towards me. Savannah looked up and smiled at me, and I smiled back. It had been way too long. I intended on talking to Cathy, but was met by her hand straight in my face. My head whipped to the left at the unexpected slap. I saw Edward stiffen, but I held a hand out to him as I flexed my jaw.

"Nice left hook, cow."

"Savannah, go into your playroom, please." she said shortly. Savannah scurried away as Cathy simmered. "You _bitch!" _she hissed when she'd gone. "Do you have _any _idea what I've been going through? I thought you'd committed suicide! We thought you'd killed yourself in your mother's apartment! Oh, and by the way, what the _hell _were you thinking by burning it down? I bet you never even looked for anything in there, did you?"

"Okay, number 1: I have no idea what you were going through, but I'm sorry for everything. Number 2: I would _never _commit suicide; I intend to go out fighting, I mean it. Number 3: why would I stay in an apartment that was burning to the ground? I've escaped situations like that before. Number 4: I was angry, immensely angry; oh, and I was so stressed that I snapped from the pressure." She actually looked a little guilty at that. "And number 5: I didn't look _properly, _as in under floorboards, but I assume if there was anything there it wouldn't have been damaged by the fire. But I did manage to save a box of stuff; it's in my car at Charlie's place." She nodded her head slowly, and then flung herself into my arms, sobbing quietly.

_I'd never, ever, heard or seen her cry before, not even when she spoke of her husband, who had been killed because of her job._

"Never, _ever _put me through that again, do you hear me?" she whispered. "You're like my sister, Bella, and I never want you to put me through hell like that again, promise?"

"I promise." I said, tears starting to drip from _my _eyes.

We pulled away and wiped at our eyes, the moment gone, but not forgotten. I'd never realized how much Cathy cared about me.

"Better get to work then, Swan." Yepp, back to normal already.

"Well hurry up then, Weaver."

"Catherine, I-" the door opened behind me, showing the one person I never thought I'd see again in my life, considering how hateful we'd been to each other the last time we'd seen each other.

Emily Jones – Caleb's mom.

"Bella!" she cried, pulling me into a hug. If Edward had been confused before, now he was absolutely gobsmacked. After all, the last time we'd seen each other, it had been Caleb's 'funeral', and we'd had a slagging match. "It's so good to see you!"

"And you, Emily."

"Catherine, have you shown her the videos?" she asked sharply. Cathy might be the CEO, and head spy, but Emily had been a spy long before that, with Cathy's mom Leslie and my mom, Renee.

Renee, Emily and Leslie had changed to Bella, Caleb and Cathy.

"No, I'm just about the do that."

She walked over the her laptop and the projector, whilst Edward looked between the two of us, shaking his head and trying to work out whether we loved or hated each other. A bit of both, I think.

"Seeing as though we haven't been able to catch them, we've been monitoring them, seeing what the hell they've been up to. Watch these three – they may shock you." She said grimly.

The first CCTV clip showed a guard stood by the entrance of some electrical company. He was around 40, with a smart moustache and a beer belly. He seemed bored. The clock in the corner read 3:15 when a fast blurring shape ran across the parking lot in the front, grabbing the shocked guard by the waist and disappearing with him.

"Believe me, we've tried to slow it down, but we get nothing." She muttered. "You'd think it was a vampire, right?" Alice had explained about vampires to Cathy, so she was in the loop. Emily must be in on it, too. "But we'd be able to see a form when we slowed it down – there was nothing but shadow."

The next CCTV clip showed a Jeep sitting in a parking space in the middle of an empty lot. The next frame, the car was being flipped over by something that wasn't there.

This was getting stranger and stranger.

The final CCTV clip showed the beginning of the forest in Forks. I knew it well. It was the woods behind Newton's Outfitters, the store that Mike Newton's parents owned. In the trees were strange sparks and flashes, that couldn't have come from anywhere else. They looked like the strobe lights at concerts combined with the sparks from a bonfire.

"What the hell is going _on?" _I said loudly as the clip ended.

"That's what we'd all like to know." Edward said from beside me. I'd been so focused on the screen that I hadn't noticed him walking up to me.

"We have no idea, and that's why we need to sort this out quickly." Emily said sharply. "Now that you're back we can send people out to scout the area – they won't go without their leader." She smiled.

"But what-"

"Mom?" we all whirled to the door hitting the wall. Edward, Emily and I in defensive stances, whilst Cathy hurried to stand beside us. I was expecting it to be Savannah, rushing in to tell us something was wrong. Hell no.

It was Caleb Jones, staring between me and Emily as if _he _were the one who had seen someone who was supposedly dead.

Cathy thought he was dead.

Emily thought he was dead.

Edward wanted to kill him.

Caleb thought _I _was dead.

Well _fuck._

* * *

**Hmmm, what do we think? Bit of a shocking ending? If there's anything you don't get in this chapter, just ask me because some parts might be a little confusing.**

**Charlie**


	20. 4Forces:Spy, Shifter, Vampire & Werewolf

**Okay, just a notice: chapters might not be as frequent anymore, though it won't be that bad! The reason is because I've decided to start up my two other stories, the one's I'd out on hiatus, again. So I kinda need to balance out which story gets written when and yadayada. But anyway, didn't you guys get a new chapter from me like two days ago?**

**But yeah, it would be much appreciated if I could get plenty of reviews for this one, because after this is when everything starts to become a little more clear as to what the hells going on in Washington...**

**Anyway, hope you like this (: READ THE NOTE AND THE END OF THE CHAPTER!**

**Soundtrack: Make Me Wanna Die – The Pretty Reckless **

* * *

"Caleb?" I asked in shock. I was literally frozen in place. Why the hell was he here, instead of back in Alaska with the Denali's? And why now, when I was in the middle of a meeting with his mother, our boss and my boyfriend? Damn Caleb and his timing! "What the hell are you _doing _here?"

"What am I doing here?" he choked out. "How the hell are _you _here? I thought you were dead!" he still looked like he was seeing a ghost in front of us, and I felt a little less angry at him.

"Why on Earth would you think that?"

I walked forward and hugged him tightly. He seemed so fucking upset, and hugging him seemed like the only thing I could do; just to assure him that I was here, and I was alive and well. He hugged me back tightly, seeming as if he would never let me go for anything or anyone.

I pulled away gently, only to turn and be confronted with a gobsmacked but obviously happy Emily, and a seriously pissed Cathy. "And where have you been, hmm?" Cathy asked sternly. Whenever she got really angry (or really drunk) her Scottish accent really broadened, and I would've laughed if the situation hadn't been really serious. "Whilst we were mourning you, and trying to get on with work thinking that you'd been killed in the line of duty, you've been out running around and...drinking people's blood!"

"Hey, only people who are willing!" he said indignantly. "And animals! Bells, the squirrels send their regards." He winked. I elbowed him in the stomach.

Cathy sighed and went to the window. She did this whenever she had a point to make, but didn't want to look at the person she was talking to. "I don't think you realize what you've done. If you had come to me after you'd changed, I would've understood, and I would've made sure that you were kept safe. But this...turning up over 6 months after your supposed death...it's disgusting, quite frankly, Caleb." She scoffed and went back to her desk, finally taking some interest in the pictures on her desk.

"Son..." Emily seemed at a loss for words.

"Mom, I'm so sorry." He kept shaking his head like a little kid who's trying to make amends for being naughty.

I gently detached myself from Caleb and went over to Edward, looping my arm through his and walking out of the office. Caleb needed time to speak to his mom and to deal with Cathy, and whilst he probably wanted me there, it wasn't my business to get into. Instead I walked into my office, seeing that it was now unlocked, and Savannah was twirling around and around on my chair.

_Man, the times I spent up in here just swivelling around on my chair...hell yeah._

"Hey, Savannah." I grinned, closing the door gently behind us.

"Aunt Bella!" she squealed, launching herself off of the chair and across the room to me. I let go of Edward to bend down and pick her up, scooping her up as though she was only a baby.

"Wow, you're getting big, aren't you? What are you, 5?"

"No silly!" she giggled. "I'm 7!"

"Really? Dang! Well, Savannah, I want you to meet Edward, my boyfriend."

"Hello, Savannah." Edward said politely. Savannah cocked her head to the side, assessing him – probably seeing whether or not he was good enough for me. Edward laughed. "Do I pass your test, Miss Weaver? Do I have your permission to marry your aunt Bella?" his eyes were sparkling – he seemed like a natural with kids to say he'd never really been around them.

"You're going to get married?" she asked me shyly.

"Yes, sometime...when things are sorted." Would things ever be sorted? It didn't seem like it, the way things were going at the minute.

"You pass the test." She said boldly. For a few moments, she looked and sounded scarily like her mother, and I stared at her. "What?"

"Damn you're like your mother..."

"Where have you been, Aunt Bella?" she asked curiously. I exchanged an anxious glance with Edward.

"What did your mommy say about me, honey?"

"She said that you had gone away on a special mission, and that she wasn't sure when, or if you were coming back. But I didn't ask about you too much, Aunt Bella. Every time I said your name, or asked about you, she looked like she was going to cry, so I didn't ask." She shrugged. "Are you back for good, Aunt Bella? You aren't going to leave us here again? Mommy was real upset when you didn't come back, and so was I."

"Savannah, we're going to be staying here a long, long time." Edward smiled. She wiggled in my arms and I set her on the floor. "Washington is our home, and it's going to stay that way, I promise you." I wasn't sure whether he was talking to Savannah or to me when he said that. But I knew for one thing, he'd certainly won over my niece with his kind words and charming smile.

"I like you." She smiled at Edward one last time and went skipping out of the room, her long red hair flowing behind her like fiery silk on water. She was my niece, and I cared about her, but she was too much like her mother for her own good – a scary thought.

"Screw Charlie now I've got permission from your niece." He laughed. "I'm more frightened of pissing her off than your dad!"

"Nothing scarier than a 7 year old girl, I'll give you that."

He looked around the room, really seeing it since we'd walked out of Cathy's office. "This is your office, huh? It's nice."

"Yeah, Cathy gave me a promotion the day after I got to Forks."

"The day you met me."

"The day I met you." I smiled. That day had changed everything for me forever. Meeting Edward, getting a higher position at Zeiracorp...it had been surreal. And whilst I'd been fast asleep and worrying about what I was going to say to Emmett the next day about skiving, Edward had followed me home and sat in my room all night.

_I'd have complained if he wasn't so smoking hot._

The door opened behind me, and Caleb walked in. The room instantly became a hell of a lot more tense and small despite its size. Edward had grit his teeth and his hands were balled into fists. His jaw looked so tight that it looked like it was about to snap. Caleb was just looking at Edward like scum, staring him down and silently challenging him to some testosterone fuelled fight.

_Jackasses._

"Okay, time out warriors." I stood in between them, not wanting them to get into another fight like they had done that day in Denali. Whilst it might be every woman's dream to have two incredibly hot guys fighting over her, not every guy could do as much damage as my guys could. "Caleb, what's up?"

"Can I speak to you for a few minutes? _Alone." _He directed that at Edward, and I hit him in the chest.

"Yes, but don't be such a dick about it. Edward, would you mind going into Cathy's office? We'll have to go back in there in a moment anyway."

He looked pissed as hell, but after a moments glaring he strode out of the room, not looking at either one of us as he passed. I assumed it was because he couldn't stand Caleb, and him being alone with me naturally set off alarm bells. Either that or he didn't trust me with Caleb. In which case I was going to get seriously pissed.

"Okay, can I go first?" he asked nervously.

"You're the one who wanted to speak."

"Hey, don't get snippy with me! I've spent two months thinking you were dead! We all did! I've been in contact with Alice, and she couldn't see you, Emmett had no word from you, neither did Charlie. Bells, you've been off the radar for over two months! And thinking you were dead when I never got a chance to..." he turned away and looked so incredibly torn that I put my hands on his face, trying to turn him back to me.

"You never had a chance to what?"

"You aren't going to like it." he scoffed.

"Caleb Erik Jones!"

"Hey, with the full name!" he did his cute lopsided grin, and we were back to normal again. "But what I was going to say was that I never got a chance to say how _sorry _I am, for everything I've done!"

"Caleb, what are you talking about?"

"I kissed you when you had a fiancée." He looked towards the floor and looked so damn guilty. "And I know what you're going to say, but don't even bother; it wasn't your fault, you know that. I initiated it, and when I saw you respond, I should've stopped right away, but I didn't." An intense look came across his face, and I knew exactly what he was going to say before he said it. "Because Bella, I _do _love you, and I always will do. And I _know _that I've got no chance, and I _know _that you've chosen Edward over me, but you have to know that I am so in love with you, and I always will be." He grinned, making it light again. "And if Edward doesn't measure up, you've always got me to turn to." He winked. Ass; trust him!

"Hell Caleb." I almost sobbed, flinging myself into his arms and squeezing tightly. He held me back as strong as he could, which was pretty strong seeing as though I could pretty much handle him now. "I love you, Caleb Jones, just not in the way you want me to. I wish I could, though. I wish I could love you the way we always planned, but I _can't. _I'm with Edward now, and I love him, honey."

"I love you too, Bella, and I'll be waiting for the day that you choose me over him." his serious tone went teasing. "Though that shouldn't be very long. Where the hell did you _find _that guy?" he laughed.

I choked a laugh and pulled away, glad that my eyes were dry. Nothing more unattractive than black mascara lines running down your face so that you can't deny that you've been crying. "In the forest – he killed some guards for me."

"Hey, I killed lots of people for you!" he scoffed, throwing an arm over my shoulder and walking us out of the room towards Cathy's office. "So yeah, something has to be done about that oil spill..." he said as he caught sight of Edward with his eyebrows raised at the other side of Cathy's office.

"You're a fucking idiot, Cal." I grinned, ducking under his arm and going to stand by Edward, who cocked an eyebrow at me. "So what now?" I asked Cathy. I noticed that Caleb was stood with his mom and I smiled inwardly. It was about time those two sorted out whatever was going on between them. He'd hated her for as long as I'd known him.

"Now? Now we go to Forks and decide once and for all what we're going to fucking do about this mess." Cathy said confidently.

Now that sounded like a good plan to me.

* * *

We had taken Caleb's Jeep that had been kept at Zeiracorp to get back to Forks. The last time I'd been in it was when he'd come to pick me up from school, and then when he'd brought me home, and I'd finally gotten the answer that I'd been looking for. I saw Edward as a vampire for the first time.

"What turning is it, babe?" I was in the back with Cathy and Edward, but I saw him look at Edward as he spoke, probably looking for a reaction to the 'babe'.

"The next one, she already told you that." Edward said moodily. He never seemed to be in a good mood when Caleb was around – not that I could really blame him. But I knew that if I had to choose between Caleb and Edward, I'd choose Edward; but it would hurt like hell without Caleb. I was still haunted by my zombie week after he'd been 'killed'.

"Gee, thanks _Bella." _Caleb said sarcastically.

"This car aint big enough for you to fight in, assholes. So I suggest that you shut the hell up before us three girls kick your damn asses." I snapped, my accent really coming through.

"Yeah you're starting to annoy me with your testosterone fuelled shit."

"_Mom!" _

I was still laughing my head off as we pulled up outside Edward's house, and saw everyone freeze on the front lawn. I counted at least 17 pairs of eyes on me as I climbed out of the car, still laughing.

"Bella!" an excited voice called out. There was a breeze, and there Alice was, gripping me tightly in a huge hug that knocked the breath out of me. "It's so good to finally see you!"

"It's been a long time, Alice." The shit we'd dealt with when everyone had gone missing had really brought us closer.

"Bella." Everyone was crowded around me now, and I was passed off to everyone who came close.

"Thank you for everything, precious Bella." Esme said tearfully in my ear. "And it's so good to see you after such a long time. You don't know how worried we've been about you." Carlisle added by my side.

"We missed you." Jasper hugged me tightly. I'd forgotten how much like a brother he was to me. We'd gotten really close as siblings during the summer, and when we'd been at school (mainly at Emmett's expense).

"Knew you weren't dead, you little fighter." Rosalie grinned, taking her turn. "Besides, you can't die. What the hell would we do without you?"

"Live in relative peace?"

"...Well, what's life without a good fight?"

I turned away from the Cullen's and gulped. There was one person who wouldn't be fazed by my sudden appearance; one person who would be so pissed and upset by my disappearance that he wouldn't be so happy at seeing me as other were. I turned, looking for Emmett, but he wasn't there.

But Jake and his pack were.

"Jake!" I cried. He jogged over and spun me in a circle. It seemed like a lifetime ago since I'd seen him and his brother pack. "How are you guys?"

"We'll be better when everything gets sorted." Sam said in his serene, leader-like way. "Two people are dead at the reservation, and I won't let there be any more."

"Neither will I, Sam. This has to stop – soon."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He smiled. "But it's very good to see you. The last time seems like an eternity ago!"

"And you boys – seems like forever since I last saw you!" I went round hugging every tall, muscled boy that I came across.

"Well we're going to have to change that." Jake grinned. "Ahh well, we're going to get sick of each other with all this working together stuff." He glared towards the Cullen's with hatred. I guess that will never change. "But this is our fight, too. I mean, two people on the reservation are dead, and you're like family to us. There's no way we could let this go on without doing anything."

"Enough of that!" Jared cut in. "What's this we hear about you being able to change into a _tiger, _huh? Makes us wolves pale in comparison!" oh yeah? I'd _seen _Jake as a wolf – he was fucking huge!

"You want us to show you?" Tammy called. I jogged to where the others were stood, slipping in beside Ash and Tammy. "This isn't for the faint hearted."

The 'wolves rolled their eyes and the Cullen's grinned. I took one more look around, but Charlie and Emmett definitely weren't there. I wondered if maybe they'd gone home for something, but that couldn't be right. Charlie would go himself – Emmett would stay with Rosalie. I had this feeling that the only reason they weren't there was because I was.

"Bella!" Ash nudged me, grinning. Everyone else head was bent, and they were just about to change, and I hurried to change. As if on cue, everyone turned, turning into sleek graceful animals at the same time. Our pads hit the floor in perfect synchronisation, and there were even a few claps from everyone else.

"Whoa." Jacobs's eyes were bugging out of his head, as were the rest of his brothers.

I growled under my breath playfully and ran over to where they were stood. My vision was really weird as a tiger, but I saw that at first, they were really freaked by what I was. That passed quickly, and they grinned and touched my fur with a feather light touch, like they couldn't believe I was really there.

"Show off!" Alice laughed. The Cullen's were stood with the 'shifters.

I didn't look at Alice, though. I looked past her to the people stood on the porch steps. My dad and brother were stood there, the looks on their faces apathetic as they stared right back, looking eerily similar; but I saw the repressed horror in my dad's eyes, and that really stung. The car was in my way, but a few long strides helped me clear it easily, landing as a human on the other side. Everyone was gasping and whispering, even the 'shifters, but I didn't pay attention. As soon as I'd become a human again, Emmett and Charlie stopped looking at me, Emmett going to stand by his wife, and Charlie going to Carlisle and Esme.

"They hate me." I said under my breath as Edward appeared at my shoulder, putting a comforting hand there.

"They're upset." He said simply. "And nothing you can do at the moment will change that – you just have to give them time."

"Bella?" a wind-chime voice said from behind me. I froze. I hadn't realized that the Denali's had come to Forks when Caleb had. I hadn't thought they cared enough to come and help us with whatever was going on.

"Tanya." I said stiffly, turning to face her. She was as radiant as ever, but she was absent the cocky grin I'd become used to, and she wasn't staring at Edward with lust or greed like I'd also become used to. Instead, she was looking at me with a mixture of fear and guilt.

_Yeah, now you're scared of me now you know what I can do. Bitch._

"Look, I know you don't owe me anything, and you don't even have to speak to me, but I'd appreciate it if you just listened to what I have to say." I nodded. "Okay. Well I won't deny that I have feelings for Edward, but I really can't help it! I've known him for so long and these feelings..." she seemed at a loss for words. "They just don't turn off, okay! Bella, I just wanted to assure you that I'm not going to be awful and try to take Edward off of you anymore – not that I ever could! Frankly, I'm embarrassed about my behaviour. And...I just want to say that I'm sorry." Oh...well I hadn't been expecting _that._

"If everyone here in this clearing can put aside their differences and unite," who are listening in to everything we're saying. I surprised myself at the power behind my words. "Then I can do the same to you, Tanya. You're forgiven – after all, I couldn't really hate you without being a total hypocrite." I managed a half smile. After all, I forgave her, but that didn't mean I _liked _her. And it had just dawned on me that the whole jealousy I had with Tanya, the whole hating she was trying to steal Edward from me – it's exactly the same as what Edward felt towards Caleb, and what Caleb had been doing! "But I'm not sorry about punching you in the nose – you deserved that." Edward hastily hid a laugh with a cough.

She took it lightly, thank fuck. She wouldn't have lasted long if she turned on me with my uncles and my cousins there. "I guess I did. And Bella, I'm glad it's sorted." She smiled and walked back over to the Denali's, who weren't quick hiding sniggers.

"Well, that was...different." Edward chuckled.

I nodded, letting him hug me tightly as Cathy walked into the middle of where everyone was gathered and beginning to speak. She always did like to be the leader, and the centre of attention.

"If we're going to form some sort of alliance, we'd better do it now." she said sharply. "I'll be staying here for a few hours, but no more. I've got other things at Zeiracorp to be dealing with."

"Hey, listen lady, nobody orders us-" Sam began, but was silenced by her piercing glare that could cut through diamond.

"Be quiet boy, or I'll show you how we spies get rid of people we don't like." She spat. I tried to hide a grin. Failed.

"Ms Weaver, how would you like to do this?" Carlisle asked politely. Jonathon was called to attention now, I could see that – actually, everyone was.

"It's tradition for everyone to get into their separate groups, and the leaders pledge to work honestly together and work together." Emily said with a ring of authority. Dang matriarch.

"We'll do that then." Ty agreed.

There was a flurry of movement, where everyone made haste to get into their right groups. The Denali's and the Cullen's stood in one group towards the south, with Charlie supervising from the porch; the vampires. The Quileute pack stood in another group near the trees in the east, all looking like clone warriors; the werewolves. The 'shifter stood at the opposite end near the forest in the west in their perfect formation; the shapeshifters. Caleb, Cathy and Emily stood in south near the house; the spies. I was surprised Caleb was in that group, but I didn't say anything.

I saw the 'shifters looking at me, but instead of walking over to them and finishing off the formation, I squared my shoulders and marched over to the spies, taking my rightful place that had been mine since I was born. It was home to me.

Cathy, Jonathon, Carlisle and Sam all walked into the middle, holding out their right hands and placing them on top of each other like in primary school.

"Repeat after me." Cathy said, sounding very much like a high priestess. "Under the sun we unite."

"Under the sun we unite." I practically felt the power and energy from their words seeping into my skin.

"We swear to uphold honour."

"We swear to uphold honour."

"We swear to protect all, in bloodshed and in darkness."

"We swear to protect all, in bloodshed and in darkness."

"To this oath we devote ourselves, until death takes us, or justice prevails."

"To this oath we devote ourselves, until death takes us, or justice prevails."

"I, Catherine Weaver do uphold this oath, as representative of the spies."

"I, Carlisle Cullen do uphold this oath, as representative of the vampires."

"I, Jonathon Swan do uphold this oath, as representative of the shapeshifters."

"I, Sam Uley do uphold this oath, as representative of the werewolves."

I almost felt the binding between all the groups, and from the looks on everyone's face, they could too. I don't think people actually realized how strong and binding an oath actually _was. _In any case, we were all one now, and nobody would be breaking this one anytime soon.

Cathy joined our group again, grinning from ear to ear. "I'd like to see anyone get past us now we're united. This is going to be over soon, I know it." you know what, Cathy? I feel just the same.

* * *

**Okay, am I the only one who was laughing their head off at the part in the car, when Caleb got embarrassed at his mom? Lol!**

**NOTE: Okay, I want you to tell me who you think Bella should end up with – Caleb, or Edward? What do you think? Post what you think in a review, and I'll tell y'all what everyone said in the next chapter. You never know, it may change the plot entirely. After all, Bella doesn't **_**have **_**to end up with Edward...**

**Charlie**


	21. Surprises and Hard Work

**Soundtrack: It's Not The End Of The World (But I Can See It From Here) - Lostprophets**

* * *

"Go, Bella!"

"Come on, Casey!"

"You can beat her, girl!"

I took another snap at Casey, my fangs coming within millimetres of her face before she jumped back, growling at me playfully. We were just a couple of kits, fighting for dominance. She lunged for me in what seemed like slow motion, and I dodged it easily. This was fun...but easy! You would never have thought that I'd only been a 'shifter for a few months but she'd been one for a few years!

So yeah, Uncle Jon had said that we'd all better start practising our fighting, seeing as though that's what things were inevitably going to end up in – a fight. Casey and I were going first, just to show how we...trained? I wasn't sure, I just followed the orders.

"Swing and a miss!" Ash laughed from the side as Casey lunged again, this time too high.

"What's going on?" Charlie's voice carried across the yard; I heard it so clearly in my form, which had the perk of great hearing. I snapped my head up to look, and saw him and Emmett stood watching what we were doing with concerned looks on their faces. In fact, I was so busy watching that I wasn't paying attention to what Casey was doing...

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!" Jared called to me. Yeah, you think?

Whilst I'd been looking over at Emmett and Charlie, Casey had taken her chance, rushing and knocking into me, ending up with me on my back metres away. Charlie and Emmett looked as though they were both about to run over to me...but they wouldn't.

_Yeah, Jared, it hurt like hell._

"Come on, Bella, try again!" Edward called over to me.

"Beat that bimbo's ass!" Jasper called. No surprises that Casey growled at him as I got up gingerly, nodding slightly at Esme who looked like she was having a heart attack.

I stood braced as we circled each other, grinning at each other and letting each other know that this was just a practice, and we were only messing around, no matter how battered we got. But still, I didn't want to get my ass kicked in front of practically everyone I knew, did I?

She was concentrating hard – too hard. When she didn't expect it I lunged at her, taking her off guard at making her fly backwards. I landed with my paws on her chest, growling playfully down at her as she snarled right back at me. There were claps from everyone else, and it was over – I won.

"Nice fight, cuz." I grinned once I was back in my human form, holding a hand out to her and helping her to her feet, wincing slightly at the bruises I was likely going to have.

"Same to you." She winked. "Alright, whose next?" she called. Jacob came running forwards, changing at the same as she did. I walked away, stretching my back and wincing. She'd really knocked me one!

"Wait a second, kid." Uncle Jon said, holding out a hand to me as I passed, I stopped and waited. "That was a nice fight – you're doing much, much better than I expected. I mean, that change when you jumped over the car...even Ty hasn't mastered how to change on the spot like you did." He shook his head and grinned. "I'd love to know how you did it! But anyway, good fight, keep it up. You're free to go."

"Thanks, Uncle Jon."

I grinned at a still shocked Esme, who was talking to Carlisle earnestly and headed over to them. I hadn't had a chance to speak to Esme yet, and it had been so _long. _

"Esme!" I called, jogging over.

"Bella!" she smiled, pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head. "Oh we've missed you! How are you? You aren't hurt from that fight are you? She threw you so far!"

"I'm fine, Esme. I'm not quite human, so I heal much quicker than I used to. Anyway, how are you? What's been happening with you whilst I've been away?"

"Trying to figure what's going on." She shook her head and smiled sadly. "It really hasn't been the same without you, Bella. Honestly, who knew one human girl could change our family the way you did!"

"Bella, it's good to see you, and I would love to have a chat with you, but there's someone else you need to speak to." Carlisle said quietly. I turned to where he was looking, and saw Emmett and Charlie walking into the house together. They seemed to be doing that a lot. "They want you to go and speak to them. No matter how angry they are at you, they still love you, and right now, they need to see you." I nodded and walked away towards the house. As if they all knew, and they probably did, no one stopped me or even got in my way, making it a clear path from where Carlisle and Esme were stood to the huge white mansion.

I took my time walking up the porch steps and going into the living room, feeling my heartbeat increase the closer I got there. I wasn't scared of much, but losing Emmett and Charlie – that was something that scared me like nothing else.

"Dad?" I asked as I got into the living room. Charlie was sat on the sofa, whilst Emmett sat on the single chair, his arms resting on the table in front of him as he watched me walk in the room. His expression was unreadable.

"Isabella." He said slowly; ahh shit, not the full name! He gestured to the seat beside him, but I stood in front of the table with my hands behind my back like a soldier. "Alright then." He muttered. "Isabella, do you have _any _idea what you put me and your brother through when you ran off with your uncles and cousins without another word? Almost three months! Three months without any contact!"

"Actually it was more like two months." I muttered.

"That's not the point." Emmett scoffed. "You still left here without telling anyone where you were going, and you never called afterwards. No-one could get hold of you, and Alice couldn't see your future – do you see what we might have thought?"

"That I was dead." I muttered.

"Three times." Charlie said, his voice shaking in anger. "Three times, Bella, that I've thought you were dead! And two of those times were after you'd run away from home! It's just not good enough!" his words cut me like a knife – I'd royally fucked up this time. "You have _no _idea what it's like as a parent, thinking your child is dead! I won't even bother explaining it to you!" he was seriously yelling at this point, and I flinched back from his every word, hiding behind my hair like a curtain, though still standing tall as though I couldn't care less. "No, you have no idea." He whispered.

"I did it for you." I said softly.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked. At least he wasn't screaming at me. Yet.

"I made a promise to the pack!" I yelled back. No more scared little girl – I wasn't going to defend myself, and fucking defend it well. "A promise to the pack that I would be loyal to them if they saved you and the rest of the Cullen's!" Charlie shook his head.

"You're blaming someone else?"

"No!" I shrieked. "It's not like that! I made a promise to always stick with them, because they helped save your _son _from almost certain death! At the time, it was sacrificing my own freedom to be with people I didn't even know! But you know what, _dad? _Uncle Jon and Uncle Ty have trained me, and raised me to become a part of the pack like I was their own! And my cousins have been fucking amazing! And before you say it, I 'ran off' because could we really stay here? Jessica and Angela left because they saw a lion in the forest! They were _scared!"_

"Dude, what's a lion got to do with it?" Emmett chuckled. I smiled at him slightly – he'd forgiven me, I had seen that in the middle of my rant. Charlie however was still another issue.

"You know Ash?"

"The blonde one, looks kinda lazy?" Charlie shrugged. "What's he got to do with a li-" he didn't finish his sentence, looking as though he was going to throw up. I smirked in satisfaction. So this was the main issue – my dad didn't approve of who I'd been with! "Your cousin...is a lion?" he choked.

"Yupp." I said simply. "And I'm a tigress."

"Damn right." Emmett shook his head and walked over to me. "Kid, don't put me through hell like that ever again, do you hear me?" I nodded. "Good, then you're forgiven. And dad, let up on the girl, she's had a rough time for almost two years now, man."

"Dad, I'm a 'shifter." I said softly. "I can turn into a tiger whenever I feel like it! Please, dad, accept it, because that's who I am!" he finally looked up at me and smiled slightly, walking over to me and looking about 10 years older.

"You're forgiven Bells, just don't ever put me through hell like that again." He whispered in my ear. "I love you, kid."

"I love you too, dad, and I'll never do anything like that again, I promise you."

"Bella!" Uncle Jon called when we all walked out of the house.

Practically everyone was smiling as we all walked out together, none of us dead, and our shouting match over. Hey, what's family without the arguments that make you want to kill each other?

"Have you got anything else to change into? Tammy wants to go out for a run in her human form, and you're the only one who can 'keep up with her'." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, tell her I'll be back in a bit – I'll need to grab some clothes from home. Hey, Caleb!" I yelled across the lawn to Cal, who was stood with Josh and Ash on the other side of the fighting 'ring'.

"What?" he yelled back.

"I'm borrowing your car!" he put his thumbs up and I grabbed the keys from Emily, who'd kept an eye on them because her son was pretty dense sometimes. "I'm just calling at home." I explained to Edward as I went to the car. "See you in a bit."

The car was a typical boys Jeep, making an extremely OTT noise as I pressed down hard on the accelerator and sped out of the drive, grinning at Sam and Charlie shaking their heads at my driving.

Well, when had been the last time that I'd driven down here? Too long to recall! Probably...the day I rode my 'bike to Zeiracorp to pick up my Jeep. How long ago was that? Three months, maybe more...it was a long time anyway – too long. But the route home was practically written on the inside of my eyelids, and in 15 minutes I was pulling upside the medium-sized house that I'd only lived in for a total of 6 years.

The front door stuck a little as I opened it, and I made a mental note to remind Em to get it sorted. I headed straight for the bedroom, not messing about. I wanted to be in and out, even if I hadn't had some good quality alone time in what seemed like forever. No surprises that my bedroom was just the way I left it. The only difference seemed to be my Alexisonfire t-shirt (no kidding, awesome shirt!), which was lying on my bed instead of in the wardrobe. I picked it up and inhaled the scent, smiling to myself. Yes, Edward had picked this up some time since the last time I'd been in here.

The window was wide open, and I noticed that the clothes of mine that I'd put in everyone else's suitcases were on my bed, including the Vans top of Edward's that I'd been wearing on the day that we'd found them all. Grinning to myself, I changed into that, some running shorts and an old, sturdy pair of sneakers that never seemed to get ruined no matter how many times I trained in them!

I was headed downstairs with the keys swinging from my hand when I heard it. Someone in the kitchen.

I pulled the switchblade from my sneaker – hey, I'm always prepared – and crept to into the dining room, leaning against the wall near the kitchen and bending my knees, getting ready to leap into the kitchen and to whoever – or whatever was there. After three counts I leapt into the kitchen, my stance defensive and my knife ready as I knelt like a cat on the linoleum floor.

"Oh shit." I breathed, stowing the knife away and staring in horror. "Oh dang, oh fuck oh _shit!" _I walked slowly and sat on the other side of the table. "Can you speak to me, can you say something?"

Scarlett lifted her dainty blonde head up slowly, her hair down in rags instead of in her usual, elegant pigtails. "Help me." was all she whispered as she looked into my eyes properly. Her eyes were crimson.

* * *

"Carlisle, help me!" I shrieked as I screeched to a stop and clambered out of the car, with a trembling Scarlett clinging to me like a monkey. Everyone froze when they heard me shouting, and I knew there was going to be a stampede in a moment. "The rest of you stay back! I need Carlisle and Rosalie _now." _I walked into the house as everyone did as I asked, keeping well out of my way as they all started getting together and starting to make plans. I headed straight for the upstairs room where Carlisle did all of his work.

"No, my room." Rosalie said firmly, guiding me with a hand on my back. Rosalie and Carlisle stayed back a little, which was wise of them. Scarlett was trembling with fear, but I didn't know where it was aimed. "Here, sit down." She said in a low voice. I sat on the bed and pulled Scarlett back slightly.

"Her name's Scarlett." I explained. "She lives in the house that Brian, Caroline and I used to live in; I met her once when I went to grab some stuff from the garage. Carlisle, she's only about 6! How can someone have _done _this to her?" he shook his head at me sympathetically.

"I can't cry." She sniffled. "I tried, but I can't."

"Scarlett, can you tell us what happened?" Carlisle asked as he sat down on one of the chairs that he brought over for him and Rosalie. They were sat on front of us, whilst I sat on the bed with Scarlett on my lap, turning round to me every few seconds.

"I don't know!" she cried. "I was outside, and I saw a woman."

"What woman, sweetie?" Rose asked. "Can you remember what she said, what she looked like?"

"She was wearing lots of black, but I wasn't scared of her. She told me to trust her, and I did. The next thing, she put me in a fire." She shuddered.

"A vampire." I said through clenched teeth. "Did she bite you, Scarlett? Before the fire, did she bite you?"

"No, she put some itchy powder in my face."

"Rosalie." I said quickly, handing Scarlett to Rosalie as trembling took over my entire body. I stood quickly and went to the window, breathing deeply and trying to control myself. But then Scarlett started sobbing and it got fucking _worse. _I could barely even stand.

"Bella, try and calm down." Carlisle said soothingly. Rosalie whispered something to Scarlett and she quietened, her cries turning to sniffles.

"How can I?" I hissed. "She's a kid, a fucking kid!" I bashed my head against the window frame. This was all my fault! If I hadn't left maybe things would've gotten sorted...

"Don't say that!" Carlisle said firmly. I hadn't realized I'd been speaking out loud. "Now, Scarlett needs you, so you need to keep yourself under control. Can you do that?" I nodded, letting Carlisle take me back to the others, where I took Scarlett from Rosalie.

"Now, Scarlett." He said kindly, taking her hand. "How do you feel at the minute?"

"Scared," she mumbled. "Hungry, and my throat _hurts!" _she moaned.

"Rose, go get her something to drink." I said quickly. There were humans here, and although she was only a mini vampire, she was still a vampire. Rose nodded and ran to the kitchen, with Scarlett gasping at the speed.

"How did she _do _that?" she asked in a small voice, still only speaking to me.

"She's a...vampire, Scarlett." I said slowly when Carlisle nodded his head in encouragement. "I'm sure you've heard of them before – but honey, they're _real. _Carlisle's a vampire, as is Rosalie, some of the people outside...and you." I choked out the last part, trying to keep eye contact with her and failing. I just couldn't look at her without knowing that this was all my fault.

"A vampire? That's what I am?" she looked between me and Carlisle, and I begged him with my eyes to help me with this. I could cope with a lot...but not this. Not this.

"Yes, Scarlett," he said kindly. "But don't worry, you aren't alone! You're going to stay here, and we're going to help you as you deal with the effects of becoming a vampire. Do you understand, child?" she nodded her head. "Very good. Now, Bella and Rosalie will take it in turns in taking care of you, is that alright?" he asked as Rose walked back in the room holding a child's beaker filled with dark liquid. I knew what it was, but I didn't want to think about it. Scarlett didn't take her eyes off of the bottle. "You want this, don't you?"

"Am I allowed it?" she asked timidly, reaching for the cup but watching Carlisle.

"Yes, you can have it. But after this, Scarlett, we're going to have to start to practice your control, do you understand?"

"So I don't keep wanting more of this?" she cocked her head to the side and held the cup to her lips, waiting for an answer before she drunk.

"Yes, and so that nobody gets hurt. Now, drink up, you must be incredibly thirsty if you haven't drunk yet." She smiled at all three of us in turn, looking more beautiful than it was possible for someone of her age to look.

"Yes, I want Bella and Rose to take care of me. My mommy and daddy went away, and they never came back." She furrowed her eyebrows. "The woman threw the powder in my face...then there was a fire, and she took me into the woods by my house...and my mommy and daddy went away in their car with bags and they never came back..." she shrugged and finally drunk. I handed her to Rose, kissing her on the cheek and mouthing thank you to Rosalie as I left the room with Carlisle, waiting until we were upstairs in the room that Edward and I shared before I spoke, horribly aware that Scarlett had superhuman hearing now.

"Oh _fuck!" _I breathed, staring at the ceiling with my hands tangled in my hair. "Carlisle, I know you said things were bad here, but kids getting turned into vampires? This has to stop!"

"I know, Bella, I know." He said in his calming, serene way that instantly made you feel calm. But I was too wound up. "And I agree wholeheartedly that things have to get sorted! Though I'm thinking that now you're home, things are going to be cleared up a lot quicker. Don't worry! We're all united now, and we'll get this sorted soon."

"I damn well hope so!" I growled "Because there's no way I'm going to let another little kid meet the same fate that Scarlett is! And why her? Why go up to a random girl and change them into a vampire? With some sort of...random powder? Now _that _I don't understand. Something seriously strange is going on here, and time's running out to solve it."

I walked over to the window and peered outside as Carlisle picked something up from Edward's bookshelf. Everyone was more tense than usual, and I could pick up fragments of conversation – everyone was worried about the child I'd brought in, and they all wanted to know what was wrong with her. I was glad that I had Rose, most likely Esme and Alice, and my cousins to take care of Scarlett, because there was no way I was going to leave her alone, or bring her with us whilst I figured out all this shit. When I met her in the garage she had become my responsibility, and I wasn't about to get rid of that now.

"Bella, look at this." I turned to Carlisle, who was holding out a silver photo frame. In it was a picture of me and Edward, the very first night we'd met – Alice, I'd bet, had snapped that! I was grinning at Edward as I held onto him; he smiled back at me as he parked my bike, one of his hands on top of mine to keep me secure. He looked every bit as perfect as a Greek God, whereas I had a killer smile on my face, probably the first one since I'd broken up with Caleb and lost my mom. We looked so...perfect together. "I look at this, and then look at you, and I see two completely different people." He said sadly.

"Because I'm all depressive and moody these days?" I laughed, taking the picture from him. "You wouldn't be wrong."

"No, of course I didn't mean that! What I meant is that the Bella on the photo was young, and reckoned she'd seen the worst of the world; though I'm not saying you hadn't had a hard life." He added quickly at the sceptic look on my face. "However, the Bella I see before me is a lot more wise, more beautiful than the pretty girl she used to be, and has seen horrors that the girl on the photo couldn't even dream of." The sad smile was back, and it lined his face with grief. "All of my children have had a hard life, but at least they were happy as a human before they became...what they are today. But you? You've always had it hard, and the introduction into my family only seems to have made it worse...but you're stronger now."

"...Okay." I said slowly, trying not to laugh.

"Don't laugh at me, Isabella Marie!" he chuckled. "The whole point of my little speech was to say that although the hard times you go through may seem awful at the time, in the end, it gives you the wisdom and strength to have a happy future. Bella, you've been through a lot in the past, but in future, things are going to get better for you – I promise."

"Thank you, Carlisle. I think...I think I needed that." I exhaled deeply. Maybe, just maybe, telling myself that things were going to get better would actually help me to sort my dang life out once and for all. Because it really did seem like once one mess was sorted out, another cropped up in its place.

I turned back to the window, watching everyone start training again. Edward looked up at caught my gaze, slightly surprised. I gave him a small wave, but I couldn't ignore the other person who was watching me on the other side of the garden. My gaze switched to Caleb, who winked before turning back to Cathy. I'd chosen Edward, and I'd chosen Forks...but how long would it last?

* * *

I changed back into my human form just at the end of the forest, walking out slowly and blinking at the glare of th e setting sun. I walked briskly to the top of the cliff and looked back on the town, everything hitting me all at once.

_We were in trouble – big trouble._

Jake and the boys were going out running tonight with the 'shifters to see if they could find anything, whilst the Cullen's stayed behind in Forks and La Push, and Caleb and the Denali's kept an eye on various parts of Seattle. Naturally, Sam was wary about leaving La Push behind unprotected, so I offered to stay behind and keep an eye on things. I could see everything from here, and I seemed to have this...feeling, when the supernatural was around. If anyone came here, I would know it. The Cullen's had been given permission to go on Quileute lands, but only in dire emergencies.

So that's where I am, stood on top of the cliff, looking down on the small reservation tucked into the side of America. It's sundown, and everything seems kinda still, but it's...eerie. I can't explain it. Like the calm before the storm – things are getting worse, I can feel it.

Scarlett, for one thing. The poor girl won't understand what's happened to her for a while, and it'll take a lot of hard work to help her fit in. She's only a baby! But Rose and I promised her we'd help her get through it, and look after her.

_Fuck! Why is everything going so _wrong?

It's like Forks and La Push have been cut off from the rest of the world, smothered by its own myth and magick until it can't breathe! And I _know _I'm not to blame for this...but I can't help but feel guilty for everything. Everyone that's died, Scarlett having her humanity taken from her...it just isn't fair!

But as I watched the waves roll back and forth in the bay far below me, I sighed and repressed a shudder. Things were bad, but things were going were going to get far worse before they got better.

We'd all just better be fucking ready when it does.

* * *

**I doubt you were expecting **_**that **_**to happen!**

**Review me please, and let me know what you thought about Scarlett (:**


	22. Deja Vu

**Hmm, not so sure you guys are really into this story as much as you used to, but I actually love writing this! This chapter has been my favourite so far, simply because...well, you'll see. Oh! And if you get confused at parts, either think back to, or check it on MVR, because I relate a lot of stuff to that story (:**

**So I'm going to start alternating, writing a chapter for MVA, then a chapter for Spotlight and so on. So Spotlight will be updated in a few days, or something like that (:**

**Oh, and I realized today how fast I'm writing this! It's took me 8 months to write 26 chapters for MVR, and just over 2 months to write 19 for this story! Okay, okay, I'll admit it, I'm good ;)**

**(By the way, listen to the song whilst you're reading, or after. It goes really well! But then again, so do the others, in my opinion)**

**Soundtrack: Elliot Minor – I believe **

* * *

Everyone shouting at each other? Check. Cathy going mental at the head of the table, banging her fists on the wood and yelling her point? Check. Caleb sat next to me, rolling his eyes at me and laughing at the sheer pandemonium of the room? Check. My brain going on overload, and a massive migraine starting right in the middle of my head? Check. It was just a usual meeting – I was used to all this crazy shit!

Who would've thought that a room full of highly trained assassins, scientists and undercover agents could argue as much as they were doing now?

It had been this way for almost two years now, everyone arguing in the meetings whilst Caleb and I pissed about and laughed at everyone until they all calmed down and told us two where we were going. Nothing had changed, even now that we were potentially facing something that had the power to not only slip past us easily, but possibly kill us all.

Finally I had enough of the yelling, which showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. I stood up from my chair, ignoring a snickering Caleb who was putting his hands on his ears ready, and slammed my hands on the table. When that did no good, I yelled as loud as I fucking could, which is pretty damn loud when you consider I can change into a tiger.

"Shut the fuck up!" I screamed.

The room instantly went silent, and everyone stared, wide-eyed at me. What? I'm only tiny, but I can be seriously scary when I want to be. Cathy rolled her eyes at me and put the pictures on the screen, making everyone focus on that, instead of yelling themselves insane.

"Nice screeching, babe." Caleb winked as I sat back down.

"Oh shut up, Cal." I snapped, not quite hiding a smile.

Cathy started telling the entire congregation what Caleb and I already knew, so I wasn't really paying attention. I randomly looked around the room for a moments before I stopped, feeling awkward. Every time I looked towards someone, they hurriedly looked away, as if they had been caught doing something they shouldn't. It was the same everywhere my gaze fell, and I had a horrible feeling that I was being scrutinized. Which was weird, because that had never happened to me; especially not in a meeting where I was the boss. Or the co-boss, whatever.

"Caleb," I muttered under my breath, turning so that no-one could see my mouth moving and decipher what I was saying. He flicked his fringe to the side a little, an indication to me that he was listening. "Don't make it too obvious, but can you look and see if anyone's staring at me, or giving me funny looks?"

Causally, he turned his head, as though he was looking towards the window where the stars were exceptionally brighter than they had been since the last time I'd been here, or the clock on the back wall. The little glare I saw on his face told me that yes, I was being stared at.

"Chantelle." Was all he said.

Oh, I'd completely forgotten about that. Damn.

Chantelle hadn't come back to work, and it was no secret as to why. Currently, she was in a safe house somewhere, guarded by a couple of our good guards with her little boy, Sammy. I'd been the one to get answers out of her, and it wasn't a secret that I hadn't exactly been gentle with her. But what was I supposed to do? I hadn't known about the threats to her son's life until after. But know, apparently, I was the enemy, turning on my own.

I rolled my eyes at Caleb, and he continued his glaring into the middle of nowhere. It kinda stung that some of the top spies were glaring me out when Cathy wasn't looking at them, because I'd done nothing but help them for near on two years now!

Kyle, one of the guys on my team caught my gaze as I scanned each face and held it. He didn't bother to hide his glare, and I remembered that he was a good friend of Chantelle's, and naturally, because he wasn't allowed to contact her, he would believe all the rumours that were going around about what had happened in Cathy's office.

But still, my breath caught in my throat at his glare, and Caleb was quick to find who had hurt me. Kyle's gaze quickly scurried away at Caleb's matching death glare. I have more power than Caleb, but he _is_ a well-muscled, almost 6 foot tall New Yorker, whereas I'm a 5 foot, skinny, kinda muscled New Yorker chick. Who would you think to be the more dangerous?

Caleb took my hand under the table, squeezing it gently and putting our intertwined hands in the middle of our seats. It didn't mean anything, he was my best friend, and holding his hand really comforted me. Especially now, seeing as though my own troops and former allies despised me.

"Isabella?" Cathy interrupted my inner monologue, and I hurried to pay attention. "Do you have anything to add?" on the screen was the ending of one of the CCTV clips, but I didn't want to talk about that.

I nodded my head and rose from my chair, acting every bit like a high priestess, or a general, that was more like it. I saw some of the bitter looks, and I stood my ground, looking fiercely at anyone who dared to give me a wrong look. I hurt inside, but I was strong the outside; it was how it always was.

"I plan on finishing this, and finishing this soon. Listen to me!" I snapped, my voice ringing across the room as some people rolled their eyes. Needless to say, I had everyone's full attention now, whether they wanted to follow me or not. I wasn't here to be liked, as much as I wanted to be. "I thought I would explain what happened with Chantelle, but quickly. You people are pathetic to hold a grudge for something that has _nothing _to do with you, but I shall explain." I held my head high and jutted out my chin. "She betrayed us to the enemy, allowing them to enter our premises, but only because they threatened the life of her son. Yes, I threatened her, but wouldn't any of you?" ha! Got them! "She's alive and well, and both she and her son are away from here, and very safe. Now, if I _ever _see you glaring at me that way again, or hear that you plot against me behind my back, then I will personally dispose of you." Whoops almost slipped in a growl there. I replaced the glare with a bright smile. "That is all."

I sat down gracefully, nonchalantly smoothing back my hair as Caleb whispered under his breath. "So wait, are you a spy, a tigress, or a freaking queen?" he chuckled.

"I can't be all three?" I teased as Cathy stopped talking to the others and motioned to me and Caleb. We stood up, hands behind our backs and heads bowed. I sometimes struggled to define what we are. Soldiers? Warriors? Slaves?

"This is the last place I want to send you, considering what happened last time, but," she sighed "I need you to go back to the same building that you went to last time."

"You mean the one where I almost died?" Caleb asked, his eyebrow raised. Cathy and Emily were in on the vampire secret, but that was about it. After the whole Chantelle episode, we just didn't know who we could trust anymore.

"Yes, that one." Lucilla, an infiltration agent a few years older than me said. She inclined her head to me, and I took that as conformation that she was in on everything. If anyone could be trusted, it was her. "People have been there, it's back in use! Guys, if we're going to find some answers as to who's behind whatever the hell's going on, that is the place to go."

Cal and I nodded our heads in unison, and it was done.

"I'll sort out some troops to come with you." Kyle said, bowing his head. All the blame was gone from his eyes.

"We're ready." I said firmly.

* * *

The troops had been ready to go as soon as Caleb and I had gotten changed and grabbed some equipment, so it was around 2:30 in the morning when we got to the warehouse/building on the other side of the river. It was horrible, this déjà vu. Me and Caleb sat behind the same trees on the same riverbank as we had the last time.

But hopefully he wouldn't _die _this time.

"You okay?" he nudged me, still keeping his eyes fixed on the river.

"I will be as soon as this is over." I sighed, resisting the urge to just shoot my way through this with my Glock.

It had been decided that half of the guys would wait outside to keep an eye on things (6 men) and the rest of us would go inside and look around (6 including me and Caleb). The guys were just positioning themselves so that they could keep an eye on us from every angle, and they'd page us if anyone came.

But anyway, before we'd come _here, _we'd gone to the _other _building, you know, the one in Seattle that I'd broken into when I'd met Edward? Yeah, that one was a complete and utter waste of time. It was pretty obvious that no-one had been there since that night, as the glass bottle I'd smashed when I was climbing out of the window was still there on the floor in tiny pieces. So we headed here, to the place that was on the bottom of the list of 'places I must visit before I die'.

"Now!" I mouthed to the others, slipping down the riverbank, but making as little sudden movements as possible. Naturally, we were all in black and our faces were covered, allowing us to blend in with the October, almost November night.

Last time, we'd had to wade across the shallowest part of the river, but there _was _no shallow part of the river anymore! It was completely flooded, and if anyone fell in, they'd be gone instantly.

Instead, I Changed, jumping over the river and landing as a human with one leg behind and one in front of the other side. The leap was easy for Caleb now, too. I was just glad that all the troops we'd brought with us were busy concentrating on the colossal building at the surrounding woods.

I beckoned for Caleb and the other guys at the other side to enter, and soon the others were lost, entering the building from another side. I tried not to be too shocked as Caleb grabbed me around the waist, but I was ready as he threw me up so I could grab the lowest ledge, about 20 feet off of the ground. He was close behind me.

The way it was laid out, there was a little walkway before a huge vent that I knew opened out onto a hallway, which led to all sorts of different rooms behind the main storage warehouse. Yeah, it was a little confusing, especially seeing as though I'd only been here once before.

When I got to the end of the vent, I checked thoroughly for any guards, and prepared for anyone jumping out at me as I jumped down and landed smoothly on the tiled floor. I was still checking carefully for any signs of life other than my troops when Caleb landed gently behind me.

"Alright, let's get this over with." I said under my breath.

We kept to the shadows, not getting ourselves into the moonlight at all for fear of getting spotted – we both couldn't shake off what had happened last time. With our clothing and the elegant, gentle way in which we moved now, there was no way we could be seen even if someone walked directly down this hallway.

"Where are we headed?" he said quietly.

"There's a sort of...office, upstairs, remember? I went there last time whilst you kept a lookout. It was the main place that I found stuff, so that's our best bet. Actually, Cal, I'm thinking that maybe we should split up this time-"

His breathy scoff interrupted me as I climbed up the rafters to the hidden office upstairs. The stairs were padded and locked at all times, and we'd just waste time unpicking each lock, and leave evidence if we broke them.

"There's no way we're splitting up, Bella. Every time we've split up on a mission, I've ended up getting shot." It wasn't funny at all, but I couldn't help but snort at that. "Besides, it's safer for you if I'm here." He shrugged.

He stared at me blankly as I stopped dead, turning around to give him a 'uh-huh, is that right?' look that I was practically the queen of. He realized what he'd said instantly.

"Not like that, douche!" he snickered, nodding at me to carry on as he spoke under his breath. "I've got this...power. Remember when we were in the woods when you first saw me after I'd changed, and I tried to...influence you?" I nodded stiffly without turning around as I climbed the last rafter. That memory still kinda haunted me. "Well, that's my power. Being able to kinda...hypnotize people into doing what I want." I stiffened. Did that mean...?

"Did you ever, ahh, use that on me?" I asked awkwardly as I unpicked the small lock on the emergency door on the floor of the office.

"What- no!" he caught on quickly as he crushed the lock in his hand, deciding that picking just took to dang long, and the door swung towards me. "Bella, that kiss was purely you and me! Besides, I'd never make you do anything you didn't want." He looked at me meaningfully. Oh gee, thanks Caleb. "The only time I tried was when I tried to calm you down in the woods, and even then I didn't have the heart to do it."

"Why not?" I shrugged. I lifted myself up, trying not to react as his hands rested on my hips, helping me up into the room even though I didn't need it. He answered me when he climbed out himself, sitting beside me on the plush carpet.

We both sat completely still on the crimson carpet so we could both make sure that there were no alarms or other traps (vampire/shapeshifter thing – don't ask).

"Anyway," he said as I stood. "It was just the thought of you being under my spell, unable to even think your own thoughts let alone control your actions. As much as that might be fun," he winked at me and dodged my elbow. "I couldn't do it. Love does strange things to you." He shrugged, starting to search at his super speed. I could've done the same at the same speed, but I really didn't want to anymore.

"I know what you mean there, Cal." I muttered under my breath. He paused, but didn't say anything.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he spoke again.

"That girl you brought in, Scarlett." He sighed. "Well, Eleazar told me something interesting about her – something that will no doubt help you to bring her up. I'm assuming you guys are bringing her up, anyway." He rushed.

"What did he say?" I asked as I closed a cupboard that was far too tempting to me – vodkas, wines and all things alcohol.

"He said that she has a special power like me, Jasper, Edward and Alice have. Her power is that she is resistant to human blood – like Carlisle." I heard the grin in his voice, and I turned to see him smiling at me.

"For real?" I laughed as quietly as possible. "This is brilliant! You have _no _idea how much I was freaking out about the whole blood thing." I shook my head and laughed.

"Bella, you're forgetting how well I know you. Trust me, I know how much you were probably freaking out!" I flipped him off and turned back to what I was doing.

After around 3 minutes (yes, time was really critical), I found something interesting in a cupboard under the desk. It was a bowl. I put it on the desk and examined what was in it; it was weird, considering that the people/person who owned this place wanted us all dead. It was filled to the brim with various herbs, crystals, rocks, un-spelled talismans, and a small knife. I recognized this stuff instantly.

A witch.

But...witches weren't bad! At least not the witches I'd been friends with back in New York. They were either just witches, or Wiccan's as well, and they'd used witchcraft to help their lives, or other people. So, why a murderer that had killed at least 22 people had all this stuff, I didn't want to know. Witches were powerful, yeah, but turning kids into vampires with powder? Knocking out vampires? Basically gaining all the powers of a vampire? No, it was impossible.

I looked up the window and sighed angrily. Great, this little 'trip' was supposed to answer questions, not raise more!

I was just about to look away when my head snapped back to the window. Surely not... Oh fuck, it was true. Johnny had a small torch, and was flicking it on and off a little, like when something keeps blocking in front of the sun.

The signal.

Someone was coming...someone important!

"Cal-!" I managed to choke out before he grabbed me around the waist, jumping through the trap door and closing it behind him.

He kept his hands around my waist firmly as we stood absolutely still. Even though the door was closed, there was a crack in the side, so we could look out without anyone noticing us. I realized how Caleb had known someone was coming – there were several sets of footsteps walking up the stairs. He must've heard them fiddling with the lock.

"Everyone's out." He mouthed to me, and I nodded. That was good, because then everyone could get away if I suddenly disappeared on their tracker – the tracker measured someone's pulse, so the people keeping an eye on things could check if someone was in danger, or had been killed by the heartbeat on the screen. But it was bad because we had no backup here in the building if things turned nasty.

Even though I'd been in quite a few situations like this, I was still glad of Caleb's embrace.

_That certainly didn't mean anything! He's. My. Best. Friend!_

The door flung open, and three people entered. The two people at the front made me see red – they were wearing all black, complete with cloaks that covered their faces. The only thing I could tell about them was that one was a man, and one was most definitely a woman. Kneeling on the floor opposite them was some kind of scrubby redneck, complete with the greasy vest, thick jeans and boots.

_Okay, not what I was expecting._

"You asked of our service." I stiffened as the man in the cloak spoke. It was the guy from my dream! The one that had tried to seduce me after pretending to be Caleb! I knew it! Speaking of Caleb, he pinched my slightly – a warning to keep quiet and lay low.

"Yes-yes, sir." He stuttered, hardly daring to look at them.

"What do you want?"

He looked at them wildly, swallowing deeply before he spoke. "My-my family, sir, I found out that they can turn into werewolves!"

"And?" the man was bored.

"And, they're all dead now, so I have no-one to help me turn for the first time. Please, I'm begging you, help me turn into a werewolf and I swear that I will serve you for as long as you ask! Please, please!" I was so, _so _glad that we shapeshifters had the ability to mask our scent, because there was no way we would've been able to hide here if he turned into a werewolf! Because Caleb was so close to me, his scent was masked as well.

"Hmm, tempting. What do you think, darling?" he crooned to the woman. She shook her head slightly, but simply, like she was flicking her hair. "My wife says no." He chuckled. "What shall we do now?" my heart sunk for the nastyass redneck.

With a smile, the man in the cloak raised his hand and placed it on the redneck's head. The woman tutted and turned away, acting as though she had nothing to do with what was going on. The man in the cloak (which I shall call batman, simply because I can't keep saying 'the man') reached for a bag of something from his cloak, and, in a ritual that I paid scarce attention to, the man on the floor started to write in pain. He was oblivious to the fact that 4 pairs of eyes were trained on his every move.

The next second, there was a wolf on the floor.

Caleb quickly put a hand on my mouth as I felt myself about to gasp. He pulled me closer to him, and I found the shakes stopping and the red clearing from my vision. I slowly pulled out a pager and sent a message whilst the wolf howled.

_Leave now. We'll catch up. Do NOT wait, do NOT stop until you're in the city, do NOT reply to this message._

"Excellent!" batman laughed, clapping his hands and sighing. "Well, we shall take you to where the other wolves are waiting, and make sure you know what you've gotten yourself into. After you, my dear." The woman walked briskly out of the room, with batman on her heels and the wolf following them quickly, looking a hell of a lot happier than he had when he'd first gotten into the room.

We waited until the rattle of the chains had completely stopped, and we could neither hear nor sense any of them before we hurried out of the trapdoor, breathing heavily and extremely unprofessionally.

"What the _fuck?" _I breathed, shaking my head as he ran to the window.

"No time – we need to get out of here _now!" _the window swung open and I ran forward to grab his hand. The window was wide enough for us both to jump out at the same time, without even a glance back into the room. We barely even had time to land (perk of being a shapeshifter – you can jump from high places without injuring yourself) before we were sprinting towards the woods.

Okay, I had plenty of the supernatural in my life to fill a novel, but _this? _

Caleb's hand was still tight in mine as we ran into the trees. I, however stopped, looking back at the window.

"Good idea, we need to make sure they actually left." Caleb assumed that was why I had stopped. It wasn't – I didn't feel _right._ "I'll quickly check before we get the hell out of here." He said under his breath.

And before I could stop him, he was gone.

I crouched in the ferns, pulling out my Glock from the waistband of my jeans and crouching defensively. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the window that we'd just jumped out of. The window that was hanging wide open, and quite clearly hadn't been before.

_Oh fuck no, not yet! Don't coming looking for us yet! I'll be the one shot this time!_

It was the man in the cloak – the one I'd called batman. And he was staring right at me. Even from here, I could see that he was about to pull his hood down, and so he did. He was unbelievably handsome, more like Caleb than Edward, around 25 years old, and he was smirking at me as I pointed the gun at him. His lips moved, and I heard his voice clearly in my mind.

'_I see that photographs really didn't do your beauty justice.' _He smirked. _'I'm in need of a new bride, and I look towards you, Isabella Marie. Follow my voice and take my hand, and I swear you won't regret it. We can rule together, Isabella...' _as he spoke, his hand extended out of the window, and I felt myself crawling forward...

"Bella!" Caleb's voice pulled me out of the trance. "They've gone – let's get the hell out of here!" he pulled me up by the waist and took my hand as we set off running at our top speed away from the building.

I didn't look back once – I daren't.

* * *

Everyone stood and came to attention as Caleb and I burst into the meeting room, panting, muddy and extremely freaked out. It had seemed like we were both under a spell until we'd gotten to the others in the city. Everyone had reported feeling like they were drawn to the place – I thanked Cathy for the extensive mind training that I used to complain about.

Everyone – and by everyone, I meant the vampires, 'shifters, 'wolves, Cathy, and Caleb's parents - stared at us in shock as we tried to get out breath back, which was strange in itself.

"Bella, what happened?" Esme gasped as she took in my state.

But then I realized it was due to the look of horror I could feel on my face. The look that was mirrored on Caleb's face. We both stared each other, not knowing how the hell we were going to explain this to everyone without sounding insane.

"They've got powers we can only dream of." Caleb whispered.

There were a lot of surprised looks at that, and I swayed slightly. Instantly, Caleb steadied me, and Edward and Carlisle moved forward to help me, but I assured them with a look that I was fine.

"Guys – we're in deep shit." Was all I could say as I tried to look at Caleb for the words to say.

Needless to say, certain individuals started hollering for answers at me and Caleb, who looked as unsteady as I did. Almost instantly, still looking at each other, we both blacked out.

* * *

**This has made me want to add another chapter to the story, so we're looking at what...maybe 11 more chapters? Including the Epilogue? (:**

**Review, please, because it will really brighten up a pretty shitty week ):**

**Charlie**


	23. Nightmares

**NEW PICTURE OF CALEB, EDWARD, EMILY, SCARLETT AND ROSS ON MY PROFILE, EVEN IF YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THEM, I'VE CHANGED THEM AGAIN! My bad about the capitals, but people really don't read these!**

**So you know that I'm alternating between this and Spotlight, so maybe it won't be updated so often...but yeah, enjoy this one!**

**Soundtrack: Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit**

* * *

"Ahh man, my head!" I heard the familiar voice groan in pain from somewhere to the left of me. "Feels like a freaking horse kicked me, man. Hey, is Bella awake yet? Is she okay?" the voice turned concerned.

"She isn't awake yet, but Alice says she will be in a few moments. I can't give you anything for the pain, Caleb, but it won't last long." This voice was calm and professional; Carlisle, obviously, talking to Caleb.

Starting to feel the dull ache of a migraine on the left side of my head, I tried to open my eyes, blinking rapidly in the bright lights of the medical room. Edward was sat on the bed by my side, his arm around my waist as I sat up slowly. Caleb was laid on a bed opposite me, with Carlisle and Jonathon watching me as I gingerly pressed the side of my head and winced.

"Dang, you were right – it sure as hell _does _feel like a horse kicked my head in." I croaked.

I put my hand on my sore throat – though how I'd done _that _I had no idea. Jonathon handed me a glass of water, and I eagerly drank it down, glad to get rid of the fiery feeling at the back of my throat.

"Well I checked you over, and apart from the fainting-"

"Blacking out." Caleb interrupted. "Call in blacking out; fainting sounds too girly."

"Shut up, Cal." I rolled my eyes, throwing the pillow at his head.

"Alright, apart from the _blacking out" _Carlisle laughed. "You seem to be fine. But it seems that we may have underestimated our enemy." He shook his head before smiling grimly. "The werewolves, the Denali's and some of the shapeshifters have gone back to Forks and La Push to keep an eye on things, and some of your agents are keeping tabs on the city. All that's required of you now is to get changed and tell us all what happened tonight."

I looked down at myself and grimaced – I really did need to get changed. I was covered in mud, and my black clothing was crumpled from the rain water. I didn't need to look in a mirror to know that my hair was in a wild mane around my head, and my face would be filthy.

"Look, I know you do this all the time, but I'm going to say this anyway." Jonathon said as Carlisle came over to check my pulse. "We're all very proud of you tonight. You're strong people, so I know tonight must've been dangerous for it to have affected you the way it did. And Bella, I really am proud to call you my niece." I beamed at him, surprised, but pleased at the compliment.

"Everything seems to be fine here, Bella. We'll go and leave you to get changed. We're waiting for you in the meeting room upstairs." Carlisle smiled fatherly at me and followed Jonathon and Caleb out of the door.

Edward got up to leave but I grabbed him by the arm. "And where do you think you're going sweet thang?" I grinned, putting on an Okie accent.

"Well I _was _going to leave you to have some privacy... But I see that you don't want that." He laughed. "Hey, careful!" he grabbed me around the waist as I stumbled, reeling from the vertigo as I stood up. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Tonight's just been...weird." I shook my head and went to the mirror by the window, grimacing at the disgusting state my hair was in. "I don't know about the meeting, I might run back to my apartment and attack the shower. I'm tired, so I really might skip it."

"If you go to the meeting," he nuzzled the back of my neck and wound his hands around my waist. "Then I will go with you to your house and the shower that you love so much. And," he whispered. "I will join you."

"I'm going to the meeting!" I said quickly, hurrying out of my dirty clothes and throwing them in a ball in the corner. Someone would be along to clean them ready for whenever I had to go out again.

Edward chuckled as he threw me my clothes that I brought in a gym bag earlier. "You little thief!" he yelled as I pulled my combats and sneakers on.

I turned to see him holding his favourite Vans top with his eyebrow raised. "You stole my Vans top? What were you _thinking? _And how the hell did I not notice?"

"Uhmm, excuse me, I think you'll find that you 'lent' me the top, and I decided not to give it back. Therefore, it is now mine." I smiled sweetly. "And you didn't notice because you were too busy thinking about how much you want to ravage me." I winked.

"You know, I'd hate you if I didn't love you like fucking crazy!" he laughed, throwing me the shirt and grabbing me after I'd pulled it on.

"What are you doing?" I shrieked as he threw me over his shoulder and carried me out of the room, ignoring my kicks and squeals.

"Taking you to the meeting, what else?" he winked. And the fucker really didn't let me go until we got outside the meeting room!

"Fuck loving you, I hate you." I muttered under my breath as I opened the door. He responded by a huge kiss on the cheek and a slap on the ass that made me scream.

"Bella?" Cathy raised an eyebrow as I sat between Jasper and Edward, my hands gripping one of theirs. Something told me I was going to need the influence of both of them.

As Caleb told everyone what had happened, with very little input from me, I thought about the man in the window. He was powerful, gorgeous, and very, very dangerous, and somehow, he wanted me. But for the life of me I couldn't think why. Unless it was some sort of trick, and he was only pretending to want me so that I'd be under his permanent spell and do his bidding. I mean, he was after something big, I was presuming, and one spy turned shapeshifter isn't really going to get him very far.

I just couldn't get my head around it.

"Bella?" Emily interrupted my thoughts and brought me back to the meeting. "Do you have anything to add?"

I looked around the circle of my friends and family and knew that I had to tell the truth, no matter how insignificant I thought it was, or how awkward it was. Emmett would go insane, Caleb would go insane, and Edward would be even worse, but I had to tell.

"Yes. When Caleb went to see if everyone had gotten away, the man dressed in black spoke to me inside my head." There were gasps everywhere, and I felt Edward's hand tighten over my own. "He said that he wanted me to join him, and I felt a sort of...pull to him. Caleb got there just as I was about to go to him."

"What?" the shout came from various over-protective men that I assumed were Emmett, Edward, Jasper, Caleb and Jonathon.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Caleb yelled. "I would've-"

"Gone under the spell yourself? Caleb, if you had attempted to stop him, we'd both be under his control by now. So stop yelling and be thankful that you got there when you did!" he nodded resignedly and his father spoke up.

"Alright, well it's quite clear that they have supernatural powers beyond our knowledge. What Emily and I will do is deep research into old archives about power like this. We'll keep you updated on what we find, and we expect to be kept updated on what's going on in the main search."

"That's seems fine enough." Cathy agreed. "We need to be on our guard worse than ever. I will get in touch with some witches that I know and see if they can do anything for protection against this spell. Keep everyone updated on what's happening, and we'll meet back here in a week's time."

There was a deep rumble of movement as people stood and began to leave the room. I had just stood up and was about to go when Cathy called me. "Bella, can I have a quick word?" I nodded my head and followed her out into the back hallway where our offices were. "Bella, Seattle isn't safe for anyone at the moment. And I know Forks isn't either, but there are more places to protect someone there, and these creatures aren't basing themselves in Forks! Bella, you're my best friend, and I'm asking you now to take my daughter back home with you and keep her safe there."

She looked more vulnerable and scared than I had ever seen her before. She loved Savannah with all her heart, I knew that.

"Cathy, you know I'll protect Savannah to the death, but surely there's a safe place to keep her here in Seattle? Or even here, at Zeiracorp!"

She looked around her slowly and bent so that she was right next to my ear. "I'm being watched, Bella." She whispered.

"What?" I hissed. "By who?"

"The same people who stalked Chantelle," she shrugged. "I've seen the shadows following me as I go home. And I'm pretty sure that Zeiracorp isn't going to last much longer."

"You think they'll come here?"

"I'm certain of it." she sighed. "My family has run this company for decades and decades, and yet I can't cope."

"Catherine Leslie Weaver!" I hissed. "Don't ever say that! You've worked harder than your ancestors ever worked, and you've sure as hell been through more shit than they have! Now, I'm going to take your daughter and keep her safe, and you're going to keep yourself safe no matter what. Because there's no way that I am telling that little girl that she's never going to see her mommy again!" I was shaking by the end, and I hugged my best friend fiercely, trying not to cry and make the situation worse.

"I promise." She said shakily, pulling away and wiping her eyes. "Savannah!" she called.

The little girl came running out of her playroom next to my office, her flaming red hair flowing out behind her like a flame in the wind. "Yes mommy?" she asked as Cathy picked her up, holding her close.

"You're going to stay with Aunt Bella for a little while whilst I sort some things out here. Are you going to be a good girl?" she nodded her head obediently. "Good. Now just remember that mommy loves you so much, baby, and I always will, okay?"

"Love you too, mommy." She smiled as Cathy passed her over to me.

"Remember your promise." I said thickly, holding back the tears.

"I promise."

* * *

"Fuck, I'm beat." I sighed, crawling into bed and collapsing on Edward's chest.

So we'd brought Savannah back here and put her in the spare room, promising her that we'd introduce her to Scarlett now that I knew that she was able to control her bloodlust. Charlie had been cool with us bringing her back here, and he'd actually been excited at having a child in the house again. And true to his word, Edward had joined me in the shower after Charlie had gone out to work...

I started to giggle as Edward pulled the covers over us both.

"Something amusing?" he smirked.

"Just thinking about how much I love you. Sorry, is that a problem?" I teased as I leant into his chest and he wrapped his arms tight around my body.

"No, you go ahead and think about that, I really don't mind." I heard the smile in his voice. He leant down and kissed my head softly, nuzzling my hair with his nose.

"Ugh, things are getting so complicated now! And I just can't help but think that sometime soon, some people I love are going to be either seriously hurt, killed, or both."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did Ms. Weaver say to you earlier? You seemed really upset when you came to meet me, and you hardly spoke after that."

"She said that she's being followed, and she knows that she's going to be killed sometime soon." A tear made its way down my cheek, dripping onto my t-shirt. "That's why she wanted me to take Savannah – she knows that I'll protect her to death. And plus, if something happens to me, Caleb will protect her."

"Oh Bella." He whispered, wiping the tears from my eyes and turning my face up to him. "Look, _we'll _protect her, and our family as well. Bella, you aren't alone in this. I wouldn't ever fucking allow you to be alone." I nodded my head and managed a weak smile as he pressed his lips to mine, effectively ending any depressing thoughts I had. "Go to sleep, love of my heart. Tomorrow's going to be as long as today has been."

"Today wasn't so long." I slurred as I drifted to sleep.

"Try saying that after you've been waiting in a building for you girlfriend who's in danger for hours." I don't think I responded, falling into a deep sleep at the soft melody of his voice.

* * *

"Ugh, turn out the light." I groaned when I woke, burying my face into Edward's t-shirt as the sun hit my face and nearly blinded me.

"Bella, it's like 4 in the afternoon, you slept all day." He chuckled. Oh yeah, I'd always been mighty grateful that the sun didn't shine on my window in the morning. But seriously, 4?

"Oh man, that means I have to get up, right?"

"Right." He chuckled. "You know, it's a good job the school's been closed for a while, otherwise there's no way we would've gotten away with this nocturnal stuff." He said thoughtfully as I climbed onto his back, for once letting him carry me downstairs.

"The school's been closed?"

"Bella, 7 people are dead through mysterious circumstances. School really isn't important when you're trying to find out why these people are dying."

"Werewolves – the ones that hunt and kill to eat, not like Jake's pack."

"That's what we think." He nodded as we got into the sitting room. Savannah was sat by Charlie, watching a video that I remembered used to mine from years and years ago.

"That thing still works?" I laughed, sliding off Edward's back and rumpling Savannah's hair. "And how come you aren't at work?" he was dressed in his uniform, and his gun was in his holster, but he made no sign of leaving.

"I'm heading out in a moment. Just had to make sure that you were up before I left this little critter on her own." He smiled at Savannah. "She reminds me of how you used to be – cute and innocent." He laughed.

"Hey, I'm still cute and innocent!" I pouted.

"Anything you say, Bells." He chuckled, kissing me on the cheek and clapping Edward's shoulder before heading out the door, slamming it shut and pulling away in the cruiser. He might be the bigshot police chief in this tiny town, but I couldn't help but be terrified for him.

"He'll be okay." Edward whispered, kissing my cheek and pulling me close to him. "What's the plan for tonight, then?"

"I need to grab some stuff from home. Cathy made it quite clear that I wasn't to bring Savannah to Seattle, so you have to stay here with Savannah."

He scoffed loudly. "I don't think so, girlfriend. We're coming with you. Besides, your place is on the outskirts of the city, so it doesn't really count. Now, go get dressed." He slapped my ass as I ran out of the room, giggling to myself like a 13 year old.

But he was right; today/tonight was going to be tough. I didn't know how I knew, but I knew.

* * *

I couldn't help but laugh to myself at the wonder on Savannah's face as she looked around my office. She'd never been allowed in the main weapons area at work, though I knew that Cathy had shown her a few weapons and how to use them just in case she needed to defend herself.

I grabbed a few guns and put them in my bag, with my Glock tucked into the back of my jeans, and two switchblades strapped to my biceps underneath my jacket. Savannah was still staring in wonder when I turned back around.

"This will be your job one day, kid." I said sadly.

Whilst in some ways my job had been the best thing that had ever happened to me, it had also been the worst. I'd seen more death and destruction in the last almost two years than the 15 years prior to that. It was still hard to come to terms with, sometimes.

"That's what mommy says. She says that I'm going to grow up to me strong and brave, like you. Is that true? Am I going to be a spy, like you?"

"I think, maybe more like your mother, sweetie. I don't know who'll take over my job." I shrugged. It was a tradition for the child to take over the job of the parent, like I had replaced Renee, Caleb had replaced Emily, and Cathy had replace Leslie. But of course, Caleb couldn't have children now, and I certainly couldn't have children with Edward, so that just left Savannah. "But I promise that I'll train you up myself." I smiled, watching her lips curve up in a beam.

"Would you, Aunt Bella? Would you really do that?"

"Of course. Who better to teach you than the boss?"

There was suddenly a huge crash downstairs, and the sound of Edward cursing.

"Bella, protect the kid! There's someone here!" My heart fell to my feet, and I couldn't see properly. No, no, no, Edward was _not _going to fight whoever was there on his own!

I grabbed Savannah, hiding her under the desk. "If anyone manages to get in here, use any of these weapons to defend yourself. And here," I pulled the Glock from my jeans. "You know how to use this one. Love and honour." I whispered, kissing her forehead and running from the room.

"Love and honour." Was the last thing I heard her whisper as I slammed the door behind me and punched in the code, effectively sealing her inside and protected from anyone who tried to get in. I just hoped she wouldn't try and get _out._

"Please don't let me be too late!" I prayed to any God or Goddess who was listening.

I launched myself over the banister and landing beside Edward, who was in a defensive stance, and being circled by four people dressed in black. He snarled when I got there.

"If we die, we die together." I muttered as they got closer. "Get back to back."

We stood back to back, ready as they circled us, getting ever closer. Well, if they did plan on killing me, I planned on going out with a hell of a fight. And believe me, I'd be dragging at least one of these fuckers to hell with me.

The first guy approached me, swinging some kind of sword at my head. I ducked and snapped my leg up, kicking him in the head and sending him flying across the dining room table and through the wall. He stirred weakly, but I was already concentrating on the next guy, trying to ignore the sounds of Edward fighting with the others close behind me.

"Bella duck!" he yelled. I did what he said just moments before a knife sailed over my head, piercing the man I'd just kicked through the walls heart as he got up.

The second man circled me, and I knew this one was going to be harder. Not only was he taller than me by about 1 and a half feet, but he was a werewolf. I balked momentarily, remembering the night that I'd very nearly died by the hands of three werewolves.

But then the 'wolf grinned at me knowingly, ending all of my fear.

I grabbed one of my knives from under my jacket and slashed at him, piercing the skin and leaving a trail of blood across his chest. He snarled, and I knew that he was going to change as his face grew leaner, his eyes became larger, and his hands started spouting fur.

But no-one can change as fast as me.

The next second I was a tiger, my weapons forgotten as I launched at him at the very moment he was his weakest. I snarled and tore at every place I could before he threw me off, making me crash into the dining room table, splitting it in half, as a human. I grabbed a splintered table leg and slashed his already bloody face, causing him to howl in pain and giving me chance to change back into my form.

But after 5 minutes of serious dodging from both my fight and Edward's, it became clear that neither of us were going to win. I was bloody and bruised, but neither the 'wolf or the so called witch in black fighting Edward showed signs of slowing down. Whatever they were on, I sure as hell wanted some.

Suddenly, Edward was thrown to the floor, and I, being caught off guard was thrown the same, landing next to him as a human. I grabbed the knife from the side of me as he grabbed the other from the other side of the carpet. I was going to take this fucker down if it killed me.

Suddenly there was a crash, distracting the two who were trying to kill us. Vases, glass bottles and various items from upstairs were being thrown over the banister, no doubt confusing the pair. In the same second, Edward and I threw ourselves at them, sinking the knives in deeply and stepping back quickly as they fell to their knees.

We'd fucking done it.

"Are you okay?" I gasped, bending over to try and stop some of the pain in my back from slamming down into the table.

"I'm fine, are _you _okay?" he took my hands and looked at me deeply, making sure I really was fine as I nodded. He pulled me into a hug, stroking my back and laughing weakly. "Savannah you are perhaps the greatest 7 year old I have ever met!" he called to the little girl hiding on the stairs, peering down at us.

"Wait until your mommy hears about this." I muttered. "She'll either be proud of you, or kill me. Oh my God!" I gasped, pointing at the bodies.

All four had disintegrated into dust.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" I breathed, crouching down beside them and shaking my head. "Scarier and scarier."

"To be honest, Bella, I don't give a fuck at the minute." I turned to see that he was picking Savannah up and wiping the blood from his face. "All I care about right this second is making sure you're not badly injured, I'm not badly injured, and that she's okay after witnessing that. Babe, we need to go back to Forks right now."

* * *

The 'wolves were pacing the yard when we got back to the Cullen place, and Jasper and Alice were talking earnestly to Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper looked pissed as hell, and his arm was wrapped around Alice so tight that I thought she might break.

"Shit." Edward muttered as I pulled Savannah out of the car.

"What's happened?"

"Alice and Jasper were chased by a group of people, and only just managed to get away, and Joshua, Jared and Paul have been injured whilst out." The blood drained from my face, and I hurried to instruct Savannah to wait with Rosalie as I ran towards the house.

But I never even made it halfway before I doubled over in pain.

"Bella?" Emmett yelled before Edward had even had a chance to turn away from Jasper, running to my side and helping me stand. "What's wrong? Never mind, you're going to Carlisle to get checked out." He said firmly.

"We were ambushed, Em." I growled, making him stop as I sat down on the concrete and breathed in as much air as I could. "Four guys in black attacked us at my place; we only just managed to kill them before they finished us off. And get this! Their bodies just disappeared, literally disintegrating into dust." Emmett lifted me off the ground and hugged me tightly.

"Seems like I've barely seen you since you got back, and I'm sorry about that...especially after what you just told me."

"Don't worry about it." I shook my head and smiled grimly. "I need to go and see the boys, and then I'm going back to bed. My body clock is seriously messed up."

Without waiting for an answer, I headed into the house, marching up the stairs to the spare room on the second floor next to Carlisle's study. Joshua, Jared and Paul were laid on mattresses that had obviously just been bought, and were either asleep or unconscious. They all had scratches covering every inch of skin that was on show. Carlisle, Jonathon, Sam and Ty stood deep in conversation, all looking up as I entered the room.

"They're trying to pick us off one by one." I sighed, collapsing by Joshua's side and brushing his hair back. "Edward and I were ambushed tonight as well."

"What? How many?" Ty asked sharply, whilst Carlisle went and got some pain relief from the shelf by the door.

"Four. And the bodies seemed to disappear when they'd been killed."

Sam nodded his head. "That's what the boys said. You look pretty bad, Bella. Have you gotten enough sleep?"

"Too much." I groaned as I stood and let Carlisle hand me the pills and a glass of water.

"Take these and go straight up to bed. Esme will come and wake you up sometime tomorrow. I don't expect you awake before then." He said firmly. I took the pills quickly, and he took the glass from me. "You've worked so well, Bella, but now you really need to take a break." He smiled. "Edward's room is all set up for you."

I nodded my head, kissing my cousins forehead and waving at the guys before heading upstairs.

Edward's room was pretty much the same as it had been when I'd first come here, except the huge bed by the window that he'd gotten especially for our sleepovers. It had become mine as well, with a few of my clothes and pyjamas in his wardrobe and a toothbrush, hairbrush and various soaps and makeup's of mine in his bathroom.

Drowsily, the pills Carlisle had given me starting to take effect, I pulled on another t-shirt I planned to steal from Edward (a Nirvana one. Hell yeah! He's _so _not getting this one back!) and pulling off my trousers to sleep in my underwear. I crawled into bed, and had only just laid my head on the feather pillow when I fell into a deep sleep...

* * *

_I was stood on the huge. Forested cliff at La Push overlooking the sea, but somehow, I could see Forks clearly to the left of me, and Seattle to the right._

_The forests of Forks were overrun by the creatures in black, casting their supernatural spells so that the magick of the forest was theirs. The town of Forks burnt; places I knew stood out most – Charlie's house, the Cullen house and the school, all burning to the ground without even a hint of human life. Whilst this death and destruction happened, Seattle remained oblivious, going on with life as though there wasn't evil reaping havoc on the small town..._

_My gun was in the back of my jeans, and though I knew it wasn't going to help me much, I wanted to get the guy in charge of this. The guy I'd called batman, the one who had started all this and turned that man into a wolf._

_But when I turned around, he was stood there behind me._

"_Oh my God!" I gasped, just before he fused his mouth to mine and kissed me passionately. _

"_Humph!" he moaned as I punched him squarely in the jaw and he stumbled back a few feet, clutching his mouth. "I should've known that you were a feisty one."_

"_Ha!" I scoffed._

"_Well, I guess I'll just have to wait until Forks is mine before I claim you." He winked. Before my eyes, the gash on his chin healed, and he strode towards me. "Because you will be mine."_

"_You'll be waiting a hell of a long time, fucker." I spat._

"_Oh really." He smiled moving forward. _

_His arms reached out towards me, and I felt myself being drawn to him. "That's right, Isabella, come to me." he said, but his voice was spoken in my head instead of out loud, and I knew I wouldn't be able to resist him for much longer._

_So I threw myself off of the cliff._

"_NO!" he cried as I hit the icy water, letting it fill my lungs and effectively free me from being claimed by this mysterious man..._

* * *

"No!" I gasped, sitting bolt upright in bed and wiping cold sweat from my face.

The dream had seemed so vivid, as though it was actually happening to me! I couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than just a dream, or in this case, more than just a nightmare.

"Bella?" Edward strode in the door, closing it firmly behind him and narrowing his eyes. "Are you _alright? _Alice told me to come up here because something was wrong with you."

"I'm fine." I smiled weakly. "It was just a nightmare. And yes, I'll tell you about it, but in the morning, okay? I'm strangely exhausted."

"It's been a rough few days." He agreed, smiling again. The covers moved down slightly, and his eyes widened. "Dude! How do you keep managing to find my _favourite _shirts to steal?"

"I have good tastes?" I said sweetly as he laughed at me. "Anyway, you know you love me wearing your shirts."

"Can't deny that." He winked as I patted the bed beside me.

"Come and lay down with me. I don't think I can get to sleep without you." He came and laid beside me, pulling the covers up around us both and kicking off his shoes and pulling off his shirt.

"Go to sleep, and we can talk in the morning." He kissed me once, and I knew no more.

* * *

**Hmm, questions? Comments? Press that green button and review, because you know you want to ;)**

**Charlie**

9


	24. Death and Destruction

**Dudes! Well, it's been a little longer than I thought to post this chapter, but that's only because I was so stuck on Spotlight! I definitely find that this one is easier to write!**

**I'll try and find some more pictures to post on my profile – if the damn thing doesn't do my head in!**

**Charlie**

**Soundtrack: Everybody's Fool – Evanescence**

**(yes, I'm aware that a lot of the chapter soundtracks are evanescence, but they go really well with this story!)**

* * *

"Keep going, Bella!" Cathy shouted from the sidelines of the fighting court.

She'd been keen to get me and the rest of the team back into serious training, and we'd been working our butts off for weeks now. At the minute, I was fighting against 4 guys over 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds and winning. Cathy had made me use my bokken – a Japanese wooden fighting sword – against them, even though I could probably take them all on with my bare hands now I was a shapeshifter.

"Shit!" I muttered as the last one clipped me with his bokken, scraping my side and blood starting to well up from the cut. "Oh _now _it's on." I growled, lunging for him and knocking him out with the hilt of my sword.

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have knocked out 15 guys this training session, because we needed them, but I didn't want to lose!

"Excellent, once again, Bella." Cathy grinned at me. "Though I do wish you'd be a little gentler with these guys, seeing as though you're going to need them." She laughed.

"Sorry, Cath. It's not in my nature to go easy on men that are trying to kill me." I laughed. "Oh, did you get those pictures I put on your desk from Savannah? She misses you a lot, you know. Maybe you should come by and see her sometime." I said gently.

Cathy hadn't seen Savannah for 3 weeks now, and though her daughter was doing well, she wasn't. I knew she missed her, but she wouldn't dare put her in danger by coming into contact with her. It wasn't doing either of them any good.

"Tell her they were beautiful, and that I love and miss her very much, please." she smiled sadly. "Anyway, your Edward is doing so well at training that I might have to hire him! He could give Caleb a run for his money." She winked.

I turned to see Edward just finishing up his training session. He looked perfectly delicious without his shirt on, and just a pair of martial arts combats on. The bokken in his hand seemed like a natural weapon to him. Drool.

"Yeah, he's doing well, and I'm proud of him." I sighed. "How many more hours am I needed here?"

"Stay another 5, and then you can go home. I need you to go down to the surveillance room at some point and see if they have anything new to show you. Oh, and if you could speak to Johnny about _his _training, then I'd very much appreciate it."

"No problem, Cath." I pulled her into a tight hug. "I probably won't see you before I leave here today, and I'm not going to be in for a couple of days because Uncle Ty wants me to run with the 'shifters for a little while. So take care of yourself, okay?"

It was always bad when we had to say goodbye. Someone was definitely following her around, and there was nothing either of us could do about it. I'd tried to capture it, but it was like trying to catch a shadow with your bare hands. Every day I left her not knowing if I'd see her alive again.

"I will. Thank you for everything, Bella, I mean it. You truly are my best friend."

I smiled and walked away to where Edward was sat on the floor waiting for me, his back against the wall and watching me approach him with a twinkle in his eye. I don't think I'll ever fully comprehend how amazing he is for as long as I live.

"Hey you." He smiled as I sat beside him, kissing me on the cheek softly. "I won't ask about training. The unconscious men on the floor told me enough." He chuckled.

"How about you? How are things going with your training? I'm sorry that I haven't been to see you, but I've just been so busy and-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm doing fine, and I've learnt a lot of things from being here. So thank you for suggesting this, it's been a big help. I'm thinking maybe the others might want to come down here as well." I nodded. He looked at the clock behind me. "We should go and get changed. How long are you going to be?"

"I have 5 hours yet. You may as well go home or to meet someone, because I'll either be really busy, or get sent out somewhere." He held out a hand to me and set me on my feet, brushing back my fringe that fell into my eyes.

"I'll see you later. Love you." He kissed me once, and then ran off to the changing rooms. It was a moment before I turned to go to the women's changing rooms, sighing heavily.

It had been three weeks since 'batman' or the guy in black, whatever you wanna call him, appeared in my dream and told me I'd be his. It seems like so long ago after everything that's happened these past few weeks.

Paul didn't survive the attack on him, Joshua and Jared. He died the day after he was brought in, and his pack just hasn't been the same since. I've talked with Jake, and I've spoken with some of the others, but it's pretty obvious that they aren't taking the death of their brother too well. Not that I can blame them.

Cathy finally found out what the things we're hunting are – demons. Something to do with damaged souls, like vampires, but with powers of witches. It's really complicated! All I think of it is that they're our enemy whatever they are. She tried to explain all their powers to me, but I know enough to want to kill them. We're going to have a bloody fight, it's certain. They're still hiding out all over the state, and it's almost impossible to hunt them down. Caleb, Edward, Emmett, Rose and I went out tracking them one night and took quite a few out, and my cousins and I went out another night and took down at least 15.

But there's just so many of them out there!

People are getting injured practically every time they go out now. Kate was badly injured trying to fight a couple of them last night, and Carlisle was still tending to her wounds when I left the house this morning. Emmett and Edward went out hunting last week and almost didn't come back after getting ambushed. Thankfully, they got back just as we were about to come and help them, quite rumpled and bruised, but very much alive.

The killings in Seattle have died down to the point where the public don't give a damn. What's a couple of murders to people in the city? It sure as hell makes our job easier, though. But Forks is losing itself with the deaths. Jess and Angela haven't come back from her cousin's house, and more people are skipping town every day. They don't know what's going on. They think that some gang is randomly killing people around here, which in a way, is a less mythical version of the truth.

Me? I'm rushing between Seattle, Olympia, Forks, La Push and wherever else I'm needed every day. I'm dividing my time between going on scouting missions and working at Zeiracorp for Cathy, scouting, hunting and protecting the town with the 'shifters, and taking care of Savannah and helping Carlisle when I'm off.

The only thing I know is that we're close to the end – we have to be.

"Miss Swan?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked towards the door, where Kelly stood holding a manila envelope. "Ms. Weaver asked me to bring this to you and to tell you that Mr. Jones is waiting for you in the foyer, ma'am." Her heels clacked on the tile as she brought me the file, and her peroxide smile almost blinded me.

"Thank you, Kelly." The file had a small letter in it from Cathy.

_Go to the following address. A tip off. Find out if anyone's been there, if anyone's died there, and whatever useful has been left behind. Don't take too long. Don't be seen._

_Cathy_

Gee, thanks for all that useful information, Weaver.

I pulled my boots on quickly and stuffed my workout clothes in my locker for tomorrow. I ignored everyone in my way as I hurried to meet Caleb in the foyer. Being a spy business, we had to make some kind of lie to stop the public from being suspicious, though for the life of me I couldn't have told you what Zeiracorp was supposed to be. All I knew was that it was busy as hell and got on my fucking nerves.

"Good afternoon sunshine!" Caleb laughed as I got to him, glaring at some woman who had walked straight into me. "Oh I can tell today's going to be fun!"

"Oh shut up." I smirked, punching him half-heartedly as we walked out of the main doors. "So, bikes, car or running? Your choice, Jones."

He looked at me sarcastically, so I stared right back until he lost. "Cars are too obvious, we've been riding motorbikes for years, and we run all the time, plus it's the middle of December and you're going to freeze your tiny little ass off. What do you think?"

"Motorbikes?"

"Motorbikes."

* * *

"Are you sure this the right address?" Caleb asked as we pulled up outside the address I had been given – a regular house. "It doesn't look...dangerous."

It was a two storey, plain red bricked house, with a neat, snow-covered garden and a swing on the porch. It looked like something off a magazine or a TV show, perfect for a little family. So I couldn't understand why we'd been brought here, of all places.

"I'm just following instructions." I sighed, parking the bike on the driveway by the trees and climbing off. Dang, I loved riding my bike even more than running! "We'll just take a quick look around and them head back, okay? It doesn't look like anyone lives here, or anyone's home. Anyway, looks can be deceiving, remember?"

We headed around to the back to find a window or something, only to find that the back door was wide open without any sort of alarm. Neither of us could sense anybody in the house, and I was starting to think that maybe this was the right place to go. We carefully walked in, looking around carefully and watching where we stood for any traps or tricks. But there was nothing.

"Bella!" Caleb whispered from the living room, motioning for me to follow him. I walked in and put my knife back in my boot, not seeing anything out of the ordinary in the living room, or by the fireplace and the large gold mirror where Caleb was stood. "There's a note." He said grimly.

"Well what does it say?" he held the note out to me, and I saw two names on the front.

_To the vampire, Caleb Jones_

_To the tiger, Isabella 'Bella' Swan_

"Alright, you've got our attention, fucker." I whispered under my breath. "Open it please, Cal." The letter read:

_On Catherine Weaver's desk we left two addresses of where a murder might take place today. One at this address-_

Caleb growled and moved closer towards me, making sure that every inch of me was protected. But I was too focused on the note. The increase in my heartbeat told me that this wasn't going to be good.

-_and one at the address of your company. So, which one will it be? If you're still alive by the time you've finished this letter, then no harm will come to you, and the murder will take place at the other location. So, will there be death at Zeiracorp? Or will you be less fortunate, and meet your end here, together, like Mr. Jones always wanted? Your lives are in our hands now. Good luck to the both of you._

_S & R_

I put the letter down slowly, straining to hear someone approaching, or the sound of a knife being flung at my head or something, but there was nothing. I'd finished the letter over a minute ago, and no one was trying to kill us.

"Shit!" I cried, flinging open the front door and heading towards the trees, which I knew would be a quicker way to get back to the building. "They tricked us, Caleb! They tricked us to get away so we couldn't protect Cathy! They're going to kill her!"

"Not if I have anything to fucking do about it! Come on!" he took my hand and urged me to run faster, and fuck knows I did. I ran as fast as I could, maybe faster than I'd ever gone. I had to get back to my best friend before the very person we'd been hunting for weeks and weeks got to her.

But when we got there, we knew it was already too late.

There were paramedics outside the front doors putting a body on a stretcher into the back of an ambulance. If that weren't enough to make me feel weak, looking up was worse. Where Cathy's office was on the top floor, all the glass had shattered, with the drapes hanging out of the window like they wanted to join her...

"Oh my God." I whispered weakly, my whole body going limp at the thought that I'd failed my best friend, and it had resulted in her death.

Dead. Catherine Weaver was dead. The fighter, the one you could never take down, the one who was never afraid of anything or anyone – she was dead.

I was glad for Caleb stood behind me, his hands wrapped tightly around my waist and his face in my hair as he sobbed quietly. I turned around and hugged him back, burying my face in his chest and hoping that the world would just disappear. This couldn't be happening. It just wasn't real!

"He's going to die, Caleb." I whispered into his chest. "He's going to die for killing her, and for killing Paul. He won't get away with this!" the tears finally started, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. I was just glad I was with Caleb, who had seen me cry on numerous occasions.

"God I hope they killed her in her office." He whispered. I looked up at him and sniffed, confused. "The windows shattered. I just hope they didn't push her out."

"Don't think about it. Please, _please _don't think about it."

He pulled us both away from the city and back towards the woods, keeping me close to him all the time. I didn't care what people might say if they saw this, I just didn't feel like I could stand on my own.

"We need to get back to Forks and warn the others." He said coldly, breaking into a run. "Who knows what else they have planned."

"You think they'd go there?"

"We can't afford to take a chance, Bella. Come on, I'll be right beside you all the way there, and then we'll tell the others what happened together, okay babe?"

I nodded and ran faster, thinking of Charlie, Savannah, and all the people I cared about back home who wouldn't be able to protect themselves very well. Cathy's gone, so I'm in charge of the spies now – they're my responsibility. But how could I do it? I could barely even think about getting back to Forks before someone got hurt, let alone both leading a company and sorting out everything Cathy dealt with from day to day-

No, I couldn't think about that yet. It was too soon.

"How the hell am I supposed to tell Savannah?" I choked, stumbling a little in the snow. "I'd been thinking about this for weeks, but now it's here...fuck, Caleb, what am I going to _say?" _I looked at him wildly, hoping that he would give me the answer I needed.

He had a sad smile on his lips, and the hand that wasn't in mine mussed his hair. "I don't know. All I know is that we'll both tell her, and we'll tell her the truth. She might be only young, but she needs to know this."

We made it back to Carlisle's in record time, bursting through the trees into the clearing, where everyone was gathered. I knew something else bad had happened just by the way everyone was together, we hadn't done that for a while now due to all the stuff that needed doing. Something had gone wrong here.

"Bella." Uncle Jon put his hand on my shoulder and sighed. "Alice told us something bad has happened. It's Catherine, isn't it?" I nodded slowly, and there were gasps everywhere.

"He tricked us." Caleb said as Edward came to stand beside me. "Sent to us another place whilst he killed her."

"Eleazar is dead." Edward said firmly. "And Emmett was injured trying to protect him."

I didn't listen. All I could hear were the words 'Emmett was injured' replaying over and over in my head. I ran up towards the house as fast as I could, just in time to hear Edward shout to me that he was in Rosalie's room. Caleb could explain what happened to Cathy to the others, and I'd hear about Eleazar later. It seemed to take an eternity to get up the stairs, and even longer to reach Rosalie's room at the far end of the hallway. I felt physically ill as I thought about how bad he might be – I didn't want to know.

"Emmett?" I shouted as I ran into Rosalie's room.

He was laid on her bed with hundreds of pillows around him and Carlisle's medical bag on the desk next to him. Rosalie was sat on the bed next to him, stroking his arm and smiling at me kindly as I breathed a sigh of relief, and Esme was sat on his other side on the floor. He looked like hell, but he was fine.

"Thank fuck." I breathed, collapsing on the other side of his bed and resting my cheek against his arm. "Cathy's dead, and then I come home and find out that Eleazar's dead, and you're injured. I honestly thought that-"

"Hey, hey, kid." He pulled my up with one hand and hugged me tightly, letting me cry on his good shoulder, the one that wasn't bandaged up. "I'm absolutely fine – Jasper and I will be out trying to kill each other before you know it." I managed to choke out a laugh. "I'm sorry about Catherine; I know she was really close to you."

"It's all my fault!"

"Bella, don't say that!" Esme said in a horrified voice, suddenly hugging me, too. "You are no more to blame for what's going on than the rest of us are! Please don't beat yourself up for things you can't control!"

"She's right, Bells." He said gently, lifting my face up so I was looking at them both. "Jeez, you're a hell of a lot more grown up than I'll ever be! But I think there's such a thing as being _too _grown up, you know what I mean?" I nodded slowly. "You think that you have to be responsible for everyone around you and all the bad stuff that happens. It just doesn't work like that! You aren't responsible for the demons' killings, and you aren't responsible for Cathy's death, Eleazar's death, Paul's death, Scarlett's turning or me getting injured. You understand that, right?"

"I think so." I sighed, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, probably getting eyeliner everywhere. "Thanks, Em."

"No problem. Now, if you're okay, I think Rose wants to ask you something." He winked.

Rose looked shocked, and would probably have been blushing right now if it were possible. "Oh thanks, just leave it to me!" he just laughed at her. "Bella," she asked awkwardly. "I know that you've decided you're going to take care of Scarlett, and Savannah is legally yours, but, I was wondering, you know, if..." she looked away, embarrassed, and I caught on, wondering why I didn't think of this before.

It had always been Rosalie's dream, she had told me, since she was a little girl almost a hundred years ago, to be a mother. That's all she had ever wanted – a loving husband, and a child or two. She had her loving husband, but having children was impossible to her now. She'd told me constantly how she loved having Scarlett and Savannah around. It seemed pretty obvious to me now what she wanted.

"If you can take care of one of them as your own." I beamed. Her and Emmett would be the best parents a kid could ask for.

"Oh would you let me?" she cried. "I'd love to! I mean, I'll take care of them both if you want-"

"No. Sorry, but I owe it to Catherine to keep my promise to raise Savannah as my own. But by all means, take Scarlett as your own." I smiled as she flung her arms around me.

"Thank you so, _so _much!"

"Don't worry about it." I smiled. "I have to go, I promised Tammy I'd go out with her." I lied. I kissed Emmett's forehead, smiling at all the thanks I was getting as I walked out of the room, waving at my brother. And assuring Esme that I was fine, and I didn't need anything.

I'd made my decision in a split second.

All it had taken was the thought of Rosalie, Emmett and Scarlett as a family to make me realize what I had to do. I had to give myself up the man in black, damnit! If I did that, maybe I'd be able to convince him to leave my family alone, and to go someplace far away. This wasn't the selfish decision to run away like it had been the last time – this was purely for everyone else. Who cared what happened to me? It didn't matter so long as they were okay.

"Bella." I jumped about a mile at Edward's voice. I'd only planned on going up to our room to change clothes and maybe grab a couple of things, but I'd been so immersed in my own thoughts that I hadn't even noticed him sitting on the bed with a small frown on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just came up here to change my shoes." I smiled, picking up a pair of Converse from the side and slipping them on, making sure they were tied up tightly. "Is there something you wanted to say?"

"Yes. Look, can you sit down here for a minute?" I was on the bed in the next second, concerned now. "We need to talk."

"I can't." I said quickly. "I have to go and meet Tammy."

"But-"

"No, we'll speak later, I promise." I ran over and kissed him quickly, trying to fight the urge to tell him everything and stay right here with him, curled up on the bed until someone came to kill us. Caleb was right, I had changed drastically. "I love you." I said hurriedly as I ran out of the room and down the stairs, trying to get to the forest to track down 'batman' before anyone realized that I wasn't with Tammy, or Alice's visions became less blurry.

My luck stayed with me as I slipped into the trees at the back of the house where no-one could see me. However, I had only been seriously running for a minute when I heard my name being called and I groaned.

"For fucks sake." I muttered. I turned to see Casey stopping just behind me, looking kinda annoyed.

"Are you _crazy? _What were you _thinking_, coming out here on your own?" her hands were on her hips, and I fought the urge to giggle ridiculously.

"Giving myself up." I said simply, walking off and letting her follow me if that's what she wanted.

"What the hell are you _talking _about?" she hissed. "You're not actually thinking about going to the head demon and giving yourself in? What good would that do?" she scoffed. "Apart from kill you."

"Because I might be able to convince him to leave everyone alone!" I snapped, finally stopping. "Casey, don't you see? If I go to him and promise to stay with him on the condition that he leaves everyone alone, everyone will be safe! This will all be over!"

She stared at me blankly, shaking her head from side to side. "You are _way _too selfless, you know that? First committing yourself to us to save the Cullen's, and now this? Haven't you got any selfishness? And anyway, how can you be sure that he'll actually do what you want?"

"I'm not." I shrugged. "But I'm sure as hell going to try."

"Not alone you aren't!" she scoffed, tying back her long hair in a ponytail. "If you can be so noble and self-sacrificing, then I can too. Two people giving themselves up is better than one, right?"

"Are you _crazy?" _I hissed.

"As crazy as you, cuz." She winked. "Besides, if you _do _try to leave here without me, I'll be sure to run back to the others and let Uncle Jon and Uncle Ty know what you're up to. And of course, I'm sure your dear fiancée and brother would _love _to know." She winked. "Now get changed, girl. We haven't got long before Alice figures us out."

I shook my head at her and laughed. Yes, this girl was quite definitely a Swan, and my cousin! "Not too late to go back, Casey." She ignored me, changing quickly and growling at me to do the same.

We ran off into the forest in our forms, and we didn't look back. We had a job to do, and compassion wasn't going to get in the way of that. I only wished that everyone understood what I – sorry, _we – _had to do.

* * *

**Hmm, what did we think about this one? I've kinda dragged the plot on a little bit, but it'll be over soon (:**

**Gah! What am I going to **_**do **_**when this story is finished?**

**Charlie**


	25. Lilith

**A/N Uh-oh. So I totally did a My Vampire Romance by not updating in months...sorry! Lots of shiz has been going on here, and quite frankly, writing this wasn't a priority.**

**This chapter is kind of a filler, but it does explain some things. I don't feel that great, so if I ramble, bear with me!**

**Soundtrack: Breaking The Habit – Linkin Park**

Casey wasn't as fast as Tammy, so I slowed down a little to match her pace, not minding that it was a little harder for me to keep going like this. No matter what I'd said earlier, I was pretty dang glad actually that she was coming with me. Not that I wanted to drag her into all this shit, but it was better than running off to meet this guy on my own like a total martyr. Just running beside her helped me, knowing that I wasn't alone, and I could do this.

_**How are you holding up? **_She asked maybe 30 minutes after we'd left.

We were like the 'shifters in the way that we could talk through our minds, but only what we wanted them to hear could be heard.

**Kinda scared, **I answered, **but I know I'm doing the right thing.**

_**Are you sure? It isn't too late to turn back, you know.**_

**So the rest of my family can be killed? Casey, there are two kids back there, as well as plenty of people that I love and won't stand to be hurt. Can't you see that this is the only way?**

She sighed, mentally. Did that even make sense? _**I've said it before and I'll say it again – you're too selfless for your own good! Someone should lock you up in a padded cell with a special jacket that allows you give yourself a big hug on how self-sacrificing you've been.**_

**Oooh, with the sarcasm! Look, if you don't want to go, then turn back, but this is something I have to do. And yes, I've kicked my own ass plenty of times for being self-sacrificing. It does my head-in as well. **I grumbled.

I couldn't help it; it just came naturally to me. Guess I was just a glutton for punishment.

_**Just like Uncle Jon and my dad – they'd do the same thing you are if it was up to them. I'm just saying, they'd be really proud of you, you know. I think everyone is, actually. You've made us see that there **_**is **_**such a thing as a good person, and that person is you.**_

Wait, what?

**I'm not a good person, Case. **I sighed. **I've killed and hurt people, ran away from situations I shouldn't-**

_**Bella, for once, just agree with me and let it go. **_She laughed. _**You're a good person, end of!**_

I came to a sudden stop, putting everything I had into planting my feet firmly in the ground, practically going head over heels in my haste. Casey quickly copied, growling in a low voice as she sensed what I had already picked up, and bracing herself.

**Quick, change back and climb up into that tree. Someone's coming.**I said quickly, hurrying to change back, scanning the area around me in anxiety.

They were coming. I could smell them.

"Come on, hurry up!" Casey hissed, yanking my hand as we jumped in a way that no human would've been able to into the huge oak beside us, only a split second before masses and masses of figures in black drifted into the clearing below us.

_Please don't see us, please, just carry on. Don't stop. _

My stomach plummeted as the leader held a hand up to the others, who all stopped behind him, crowding the space below and beyond, covering the ground below us in a thick black cloak.

"Someone's been here very recently." My eyes narrowed as the werewolf by his side spoke in his gravelly voice, eyeing the bushes around him greedily, his tongue caressing his teeth as though in hunger. "In the last few minutes, in fact." There were hisses all around. Casey grabbed my arm before I could launch myself at the wolfs throat – selfish bastard.

"Are they still here?" The leader hissed gleefully, staring around wildly, as if we were just going to jump out at him. "Or rather, is _she _here?" there were laughs all around, and this time it was me who had to hold Casey back. "Find her, and whoever she's with! I've had enough of the games – tonight it all ends."

I held in a gasp and a curse word, waiting until they had all run off in different directions except the way they'd came, before turning to Casey, with a shocked expression that mirrored hers.

"Tonight it all ends..." she whispered.

"We have to warn the others!" I said quickly, leaping out of the tree and changing as I did so, running as fast as I could back towards the Cullen house. **Come on, Casey. It'll hurt, but you have to keep up with me! **

_**What happened to going to head them off? **_

**Casey, he wants me dead. He wants us all dead, and we **_**still **_**have no idea why! We have to get back before-**

I was thrown back at least 20 feet, slamming into a tree and slumping at the bottom as a human. A white burst of light had hit me square on in the chest, leaving no mark, but feeling like I'd slammed into a brick wall.

I looked to the left of me to see Casey in a similar state, but with blood trickling down from her left eyebrow where she'd gotten caught on a branch above her. She grimaced at me as she struggled to sit up, glaring at whoever was opposite us.

"Well, well, how surprising." A familiar voice said. I whipped my head around to see the man and the woman from the warehouse stood opposite us. He was smirking, like he had just won something important, and she was rigid, her hands over her hooded mouth and her posture frightened. I frowned at her in confusion, but he started to talk. "We haven't formally introduced ourselves, have we? My name is Simeon, and this is my wife, Lilith. Of course _you're _Isabella, and _you _must be Casey, am I correct?"

"I don't care what your name is." Casey growled. "You've killed enough people; we're going to stop you from doing it again."

He laughed, sending gooseflesh across my arms. "Is that so? Let me guess – you're going to kill us, then run back to your supernatural families for reinforcements, kill my army, then live happily ever after?" as he laughed at her, I sat up a little further, trying to get in a good offensive stance.

"Simeon." The woman said stiffly, tugging at his sleeve. "There's something I have to tell you about-"

"Not now!" He growled, pushing her away roughly and starting to curse at her.

Casey caught my eye, and I saw she was in the same stance as I was. "NOW!" I breathed, leaping for his throat at the same time as she did. He put up a pretty good fight, and starting muttering an incantation, but a hefty punch to the jaw soon shut him up. We had overpowered him, but suddenly there was another brilliant flash of light, and we were laid flat out on our backs again, grimacing in pain.

"I'm getting sick of you two!" He growled, lighting a huge ball of fire in his hands and heading towards us...

FLASH!

I shielded my eyes as best I could from the new, red light that seemed to surround the entire area, swallowing me whole until it vanished without a trace. Ignoring the aching throb in my chest and back, I leapt up to see Lilith breathing heavily opposite us, having blasted Simeon off to God-knows where.

"He's not dead." She said in a cool voice, lowering her palms and standing up straight. "He'll be back soon, and you need to get out of here before that happens." Her voice sounded so familiar, but it was lost in my thoughts of why the hell she had saved us instead of letting him finish us off.

"What's the matter? Decided killing isn't fun anymore?" I spat, grabbing Casey's hand and preparing to run for it. "You'd better get out of here – I don't _ever _want to see you in these woods again, do you hear me?"

To my surprise, the part of her face that wasn't in shadow turned up in a smile. "I thought I raised you to have better manners than that, Bella." Casey's gasp of shock beside me might not have existed, as Lilith pulled her hood down and showed me her face.

Renee.

I shook my head, taking several steps backwards. "No, that's impossible! Renee is dead, I saw her get hit by the lorry!" I hissed, glaring at the woman who was smiling sadly at me. "You're Lilith, and you killed Eleazar, and Paul, and- and my fucking _best friend Catherine!" _I yelled, my blood boiling, Casey forgotten.

"Renee, Lilith, what's a name?" she sighed. "I wasn't killed by the lorry, Bella, Simeon made sure of _that." _She said in disgust. "And I've been bound to him ever since. I guess he thought killing my daughter would make me finally give myself up completely." She glared in the direction he'd gone, her hands balling into fists.

"Bella!" Casey hissed, squeezing my arm. "We haven't got time for this! At this moment, he's recovering, and possibly sending reinforcements! We _have _to get back to the others." She looked urgent, and I nodded my head.

"Lilith, Renee- whatever your name is. You're in danger. Either come back with us so you can tell us everything you know, or get the hell out of here." I said coldly, sprinting past her, not bothering to change back into my form.

"Is this a good idea?" Casey asked as she caught up to me. "I know she's your mom, but can we trust her?"

"_That woman _is _not _my mother! If she's even following us, and if I feel we can't trust her, I'll kill her."

"If you feel you can't trust me, I'll let you kill me." She sighed, suddenly behind us. Casey glared behind her and sped up a little; I could feel her anxiety at the newcomer, and this time _I _fought to keep up with _her._

We broke through the trees into the Cullen's back yard only 15 minutes later due to our haste, where everyone was gathered, and by the looks of things, heading out as a hunting party.

"CASEY SWAN! ISABELLA SWAN!" Uncle Ty roared, marching forward and grabbing his daughter's right shoulder with one hand and mine the other. "Do you have _any _idea what you've done? Why the _hell _would you run off into the woods without telling anyone at a time like-" he stopped short, his eyes enlarging as he took in the figure behind us. "Renee?"

"We can't trust her." I said brusquely, moving past Ty to address the others. "She'll tell us everything she knows, or I'll kill her." I shrugged, heading over to where Edward was leaned against the house, glaring at me. "What's up?" I asked in a low voice as everyone crowded around the supposed Renee.

"Why didn't you tell me, Bella?" he glared, towering over me as he fumed. "Or would've that been too much trouble? Why the hell would you tell me that you're going to stay close to home with Tammy, then run off to God-knows where with Casey? I'm sorry, but I thought you trusted me." He exhaled angrily, looking away with disgust clear in his eyes.

"Edward..." I began, dropping the hand that was stretched out towards him. "You would never have let me go." I said simply. "And I had to try something! Anything to get them away from us! Enough people have died – I was desperate to end things!"

He shook his head and turned back to me, looking at me like the enemy. "I get it. You think your life is nothing; that the world would be fine if you went and got yourself killed to protect your family, it wouldn't be the first time you've run off to protect others. You know, sometimes I wonder if you aren't just being completely selfish by doing things like that."

I reached up and gave him a huge slap, making his head whip to the right. There were plenty of gasps around; meaning attention was now on us instead of Renee. He turned back to me, one hand on the cheek I'd slapped, and shock on his face.

"I do it for you – for the people that I love, and you know that, because I've told you. So why don't you tell me the _real _reason that you hate me taking matters into my own hands?" I asked softly, toning down the rage and starting to feel bad about slapping him.

Instead of answering, he turned on his heel and strode back into the house, never looking back as he ran up the stairs. I winced as several doors slammed shut and several items in our room were smashed, then silence.

I turned to see everyone staring at me.

"Keep staring, and I'm gonna start charging." I sighed, heading over to Caleb, whose eyebrows were raised so high that they were invisible under his hair. "This should be interesting." I muttered, as everyone settled down and focused on Renee, who was about to speak. Ghost-like, Esme appeared on my left, taking my arm and smiling sadly.

"Everyone, I promise that I'm not going to harm any one of you. When I'm away from Simeon, I don't have my demon powers anyway." She said pointedly to Sam, where the entire pack stood ready to change in a second.

"We can't take that chance." He said simply.

She threw her hands up in frustration, but nevertheless floated to the ground, sitting cross legged and closing her eyes. "I'll start from the accident." Caleb tensed by my side, as curious as I was. He had witnessed the accident, taking me away with him when it became clear that it was deliberate.

"I threw a shuriken (**throwing star) **at the lorry windows, injuring the guy inside and causing him to swerve in the opposite direction. I was hit, but not by the lorry, but by a sort of powder that knocked me unconscious-"

"There was blood everywhere." I interrupted. "Explain _that." _

She smiled without humour. "Bella, have you learned nothing of magic in the short time we've been here? It's nothing you could ever imagine! It's real, and it can do extraordinary things. In the case of demon magic, practically everything is possible, even making a scene look more gruesome than it actually is."

I nodded, leaning back against the tree behind us. Caleb rolled his eyes at me, but I was more interested than ever to hear what she had to say.

"When I woke up, I couldn't move. I was in a dark box – which of course I had no idea was a coffin. Maybe a minute after I awoke, someone pulled me out and put me over their shoulder. I couldn't move a muscle, much less escape, so I concentrated around me. He took me to a warehouse where Simeon was waiting, having not changed one bit from how I'd known him all those years ago."

Memories of my conversation with Uncle Ty came back to me._"The man who Renee left us for, his name was Simeon...Simeon was an awful man. I'd have killed him myself if it wouldn't have destroyed her."_

"That jerk that made you leave your heritage?" Lily gasped, her eyes becoming slits. "I've _always _wanted to throttle him! And now you're telling me that he faked your death, kidnapped you and God knows what else?" she shrieked.

Uncle Jon put a hand on her shoulder to restrain her, though wearing the same loathing look as his sister. "Calm down, Lil, let her finish."

"I was bound to him," she continued, more subdued now. "He made me swear to be faithful to him, or he'd kill Bella – baby, you were being watched!" she said desperately, trying to find some reaction in my apathetic face. "If I'd have said no, he would've had you killed in a split second! You know you would've done the same!" her eyes glistened with tears, and I started forward an inch before freezing.

"Anything else?" I said stonily.

She sighed, glaring at the grass. "You can hate me, but I promise it was to keep you safe." She turned back to the others, who seemed more willing to trust her. Even Jake and the boys were out of their defensive stances. "I can tell you a spot by the river, a little way from here, where they're sure to track you. Today's the day they attack, there's no stopping them."

"There's nothing?" Carlisle asked sharply, his eyes flickering over to Esme beside me. "No way to stop their attack, or try to reason?" she was shaking her head even before he'd finished.

"He wants Forks – nowhere else on the planet has the supernatural element that he needs to keep himself alive. He's old, Mr. Cullen, older than you know. Killing all those people is only the beginning – if he manages to overpower you, he'll murder the entire town and take it for his own." She bowed her head in shame, shielding her face from the crowd of onlookers.

"This is all very storybook-like. Bad guy wants to take over, good guys have to stop him. Who will win? Does anybody know?" a sarcastic voice said from the back porch.

All eyes turned to see Emmett, very much healed, his eyes narrowed at Renee on the grass. He sought me, and after seeing me so far away from her, my expression ranging from curiosity to mistrust, he nodded, suddenly appearing on Caleb's right.

"We have to meet them!" Ty growled, his hand clasped on his son's shoulder. "We'll meet them, finish them, then get the hell out of here. We've been here too long." He muttered, striding back to the house, presumably to get ready to leave.

Carlisle sighed, but after seeing no disagreement in anyone else's expression, he nodded. "Everyone prepare yourselves, we leave in an hour. Alice, keep an eye out for their decision to come here." He added to the pixie girl I hadn't noticed beside him.

"No," she said firmly. "They aren't going to come here – they prefer the forest. When we get to the river, they'll be waiting."

Slowly, everyone dispersed, Esme running to take her husband's hand as he smiled weakly at her. Caleb mussed my hair, but headed off as well, leaving Emmett and I in the large back yard with our mother.

I gave Emmett a _now what? _look, and he shrugged. She was still sat on the grass, sobbing softly. I knew now why everyone had gone away; to give us a little bit of privacy. Holding my head up high, I walked briskly over to Renee, who only looked up a fraction when I was literally a few inches away.

"Do you know how it's been, learning to be a spy, and having to go through the worst years of my life alone?" I said roughly; she winced. "You were all I had, Renee, and thinking you were dead was bad enough; but now, knowing that you've been alive all this time...ugh!" I yelled, badly wanting to hit something.

"I couldn't take the chance that they'd kill you." She whispered desperately. "You have to believe that!"

"Not even a hint that you might still be alive; no letter – nothing!" I hissed, feeling just like I had when I'd burned down that Goddamn apartment. "You can't expect me to believe that _you _of all people, just surrendered to the enemy because someone you love was threatened!"

Slowly, she stood up, and with a jolt I realized that I was the same height as her now. "You weren't trained then, and I didn't know about Leslie and Emily's children recruiting you. It was my final gift to you – to protect you from my mess. I understand if you can't ever forgive me." She sighed.

As she turned to walk away into the forest, most likely to her death, I realized that there was no way I could lose her again. Before Emmett could speak, I ran around her and hugged her tightly, hiding my swimming eyes in her shoulder.

"Don't fucking ever think about leaving again." I whispered as she hugged me back. She smelt the same, she felt the same...it was as though nothing had happened, and we were back in New York. I felt Emmett wrap his arms around us both, kissing us on top of our heads as my mom and I cried.

"I'll never leave you again, sweetheart." She smiled, tears still running down her face. "We have all the time in the world to talk! You might have gotten me back, but don't lose _him._" She indicated the house behind her and I gasped.

Edward.

Leaving my mom and Emmett to talk, I ran back up to the house just as everyone else reappeared, talking urgently, preparing themselves to fight. I took the stairs three at a time, running up as fast as I could to the room on the third floor where I could hear him walking around furiously.

"I'm getting changed." He snapped as I flung open the door. He was halfway into a black t-shirt, with his back bare, showing the scars he'd gotten from the demons.

"Oh my God!" I gasped, running over, hardly daring to touch. "I thought these were healing!"

He pulled the t-shirt down and faced me, clearly still pissed. "Well they're not, and they're never going to. Something to do with _their _powers...Carlisle explained, but that's the gist of it." He shrugged.

"Edward...please. We literally have an hour left, maybe less, before we're thrown into a fight so big that it's doubtful we'll all make it out. Please...don't end everything like this; mad at me. I know running off was wrong! But I just love you too much to not do something!"

He span around, his eyes blazing, making me automatically step back. His expression softened a little bit, but it was still clear how he felt. "You love me? No, clearly you don't, Bella. Why the hell would you leave me here, _lying _to me when you told me where you were going? You _must _hate me." He scoffed under his breath.

"Hate you? _Hate you? _Boy what the hell have you been smoking?" I glared, one hand on my hip as he rolled his eyes at me.

"Then why would you leave me behind when you went off to die?" he hissed, trembling through his rage. "Why would you leave me to face life alone by getting yourself killed?"

My breath caught, and I understood why he was so angry. It wasn't the fact that I was going to get myself killed (though he hated that), it was that I was going without him to get myself killed.

I ran over and hugged his waist tightly, ignoring the fact that he wasn't holding me back.

"I'm so sorry! I promise you, that I will never leave you behind again. I had no idea..." my breath caught, and it was all I could do to stop myself crying. "Casey was wrong, I'm an awful person – a selfish, _selfish bitch!" _

Finally, he relaxed, hugging me tightly, leaning his cheek against my head. "You are selfless – but I can be as well. If we die, we die together, understood?" he smiled weakly as he pulled back, stroking my cheek with his thumb. I nodded. "I love you too, Bella, and a world without you truly would be hell. And as for dying later...we'll just have to make sure it doesn't come to that." He smiled, kissing me softly.

"Drama, drama and more drama." I sighed when we parted. "Is nothing normal anymore?"

He chuckled. "Were our lives ever normal?"

"Meh." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as I wrapped mine around his waist, heading downstairs and outside, where everyone smiled knowingly. I simply rolled my eyes and got into line facing Sam, Renee, Carlisle and Uncle Jon.

"Alright listen up, people! Today's the day – we're going to finish this once and for all." Uncle Jon said, very much the proud warrior as he faced us all – the ragtag army that really had no idea what they were up against.

"They'll try and stun you, to keep you down whilst they finish you off. DON'T let them get to the back of your neck, because then you really will have no chance." Renee said firmly, the ghost of tears still etched on her face.

"We'll all be heading out as one big group – no-one separates until we start to fight. Charlie will be arriving at the house shortly – he's waiting until he see's us leave. He'll stay with the girls and lock down the house. The shifters will attack from the front – vampires from the back. Does everyone understand?" Carlisle asked, the figure of authority. There was a resolute yes, and everyone started to run, staying with their closest relatives as we all thought 'this is it'.

"Are you afraid?" Edward asked, his hand finding mine and squeezing.

"A little bit." I gulped. There was no point in lying. "Stay close to me throughout – we'll guard each other's backs. And whatever you do, don't let them see if you're weak or injured!"

He nodded. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I couldn't say anything else.

I looked around me, at the faces of everyone I loved.

Carlisle, tired and anxious; Esme, still full of love as she watched everyone around her. Alice, her eyes cloudy as she held onto Jasper's arm; Jasper, deeply concerned as he watched his wife. Emmett, looking grimly determined; Rosalie looking like Morrigan, the Goddess of battle. The Denali's, afraid but strong. My uncles and aunt, all with steely determination and grit; my cousins, looking grim but ready. Jakes pack, fierce in their forms; and Caleb, the lone ranger in our pack that all cared about each other deeply.

I reached back for his hand, which he took gratefully, running a little faster to be beside me.

Is this how it ends? All of us running to fight a force we don't understand, trying to beat creatures we've already lost people we care about to? Where's the justice in that? I came out here earlier to give myself up – instead, I lead us all to our doom. How am I going to be able to look anyone in the eye if someone's killed? Which people will be lost forever...?

When we arrived, they were already waiting for us.

Renee had been right, that blast hadn't been enough to kill Simeon, who was grinning at us wickedly from his spot by the river across the clearing, in front of less hooded figures than I expected. They were all ready and waiting for someone to make the first move.

I stepped forward.

"We know what you want." I said powerfully, my voice ringing through the open space. "But you won't get it." There was laughter from the other side, and Simeon kept smiling.

"I admire your spirit, Isabella. I've had a change of heart! I _was _going to kill all of you, kill the rest of the town and stay here. Now, I think I'll do all of that, but _keep you."_

Practically everyone either growled or hissed behind me, and I fell back into line, bracing myself. This was the beginning; all it needed was a spark, and there would be death.

"You know, Catherine was strong, and she _almost _caught me in her office. But still, all it took was one push to end her." He grinned inanely. "Such a shame; but it was fun to watch her fall."

Caleb and I leapt for his throat.

**I promise it won't be months for the next chapter!**

**Tell me it was good, or tell me it was shit – either way, it helps me. I hope you don't kill me for the next chapter! ;)**

**Charlie **

7


	26. The End Of An Era Part 1

**A/N okay, first off, DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE TITLE OF THIS CHAPTER! I knew if I didn't put that, people would be asking if the next chapter is the last one, which it isn't. We still have a few more until *sniff* MVA is finished for good!**

**I've decided what I'm going to do after, though, but it requires some help from you, or I simply won't do it. Either review this story, or send me a PM of which outtakes from these stories or parts that I haven't included you want to read. For example, I've written one about the day Bella gets scouted by Caleb...but yeah, if no-one suggests anything, I just won't do it – sorry!**

**Soundtrack: Nightmare – Avenged Sevenfold**

* * *

Simultaneously, Caleb sank his teeth into Simeon's neck, causing him to scream in pain, whilst I clawed him anywhere I could, having Changed mid-leap. Everyone else ran past us in a blur towards the demons that were surging forward at the attack of their master.

Caleb snarled in his face as he pinned his arms down, my paws on his chest and growling as well.

Then he started to laugh.

"You think that a little bit of drawn blood and a few bites can kill me? Ha! You haven't seen the world as I have, you don't understand that it's not that _easy _to win." He grinned, shaking his head. "You don't know _how _to kill me."

"But I do." A dark voice said from behind me. Caleb kept his eye on Simeon as I craned my neck, seeing Edward with a large iron bar in his hands. It looked deadly; it looked _sharp. _"Bella, please get out of the way and help pin him down."

"I can give you power!" Simeon yelled, struggling against my body weight on one side and Caleb's steel arms on the other. So Edward _did _have something that could destroy him. "You don't have to do this!"

"Oh yes I do!" He snarled. "You kidnapped me and my family, threatened to take my girl as your own, killed innocent people, injured me and my brother, and caused Bella to be in pain for the past _2 years _to name only a few! So yes, I do have to do this." He said simply.

Edward brought the bar down, _hard._

Simeon's screams seemed to last a lifetime, light bursting from his dark-clothed body, his arms becoming harder and harder to hold on to.

"_Get out of the way!" _Caleb and Edward both yelled, all three of us jumping as far as possible before the light swelled, seeming to take over the entire clearing...

And then he was gone.

There was just...nothing.

All that was left of the millennia old demon was a scorch mark on the grass, and a handful of light-bleached, smoking rags. He had literally vanished into nothingness.

_Don't just stand there! _A voice in my head yelled. _There's a fight going on – so fight!_

I didn't need any more convincing, forgetting Simeon and throwing myself into the huge mass of black and grey, biting and tearing at anyone who came my way. They were relatively simple to kill, only needing one major injury to go down – but they weren't going without a fight, and they were absolutely everywhere. I was completely surrounded, but I couldn't watch my front without protecting my back, and vice versa...

We were horribly outnumbered.

But still I didn't let it stop me, carrying on, making my way through the crowd leaving destruction in my wake, just wanting to end all this before one of _us _were seriously injured or killed. I caught a flash of long blonde hair somewhere to the right of me. Casey? Rosalie? Naomi? I couldn't tell – in a second it was gone, and all I could see was an endless pool of black, trying to drown me.

"NO!" I span towards the voice behind me, and for one stupid second, let my guard down, letting a flash of white hit me yet again in the chest and send me flying backwards, landing painfully on the outskirts of the fight as a human.

And was filled with hope.

In the beginning there had been thousands of the swirling, misting shapes that I had no idea were so easy to destroy once their leader once gone. Now, there were perhaps hundreds left – now we were getting somewhere!

"Are you okay?" A coarse voice said to the left. Jacob was doubled over, breathing heavily with his eyes swimming with tears.

"Oh my God, Jacob!" I scrambled to my feet and grabbed his arm. "What happened, did you get hit?"

"No, it's, it's...Sam." I felt the blood drain from my face. "He's dead. Bella, I had to get him out of there!" he said quickly, leaning on me heavily. "But I'm going back in."

"I'm so sorry, Jake." I whispered. "Be strong, I'm coming with you."

Without looking at the broken figure on the ground behind us, we dived back into the fight. We didn't even manage to stay together 5 seconds before we were separated.

This time it was more intense, because try as I might, I just couldn't change back into my form. Jake had, straightaway, but the magic that had been used on me was far too strong, leaving my tiger form paralyzed.

Instead, I fought hand-to-hand, using the knives I had taken to carrying with me everywhere since the day Cathy offered me a job. And because of the type of metal used on the blade...let's just say it was actually easier to kill this way than by trying to attack with my razor sharp teeth. If I could just find one of my own, then it would be easier to keep myself and someone else protected whilst taking down as many of these things as possible.

No matter how many I thought we'd taken down, there were still plenty left, and in the crammed space, none of them wanted to die. I became dizzy from spinning around to kill those who tried to grab the back of my neck, but still I carried on, knowing that the more I killed, the less chance that someone else I cared about would die. There had already been too much death today, far too much...

"Leave her! _I _want her." A gravelly voice snarled behind me. Before I could turn, I was pinned flat on my back, with the weight of a wolf in his half form crouched over me.

"So _you're _the bastard who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for paws." I snarled. "Oh what's up, kitty-cat got your tongue?" I smiled.

He grinned, yellow-white teeth flecked with blood and spit showing past lips that were curled up in a huge smile. "I heard, that before he died, my brother got the chance to the taste the flesh of a pretty little human girl that his boss had kidnapped. And you know what, princess? He would've finished her off if it weren't for the fire and the vampires." A growl started deep in his chest, his wolfish eyes narrowing into slits. In a few moments the moon would come up, and he'd be able to transform completely into a werewolf...

Jake's pack were different, they were shapeshifters that just happened to turn into wolves. Real wolves, _werewolves, _were much more deadly – slaves to the moonlight. When they turn, they lose themselves completely, forgetting who they are, who they love.

The clouds started to reveal the moon.

"If you mean me, he _almost _killed me. I watched him die – quite pathetic, really, when you think about how much he threatened to kill me." I grinned. "Oh, and I'm not sure if it was your brother, but I managed to trick one of them into letting me go! It was only because his boss came that-"

The punch to my face sounded hollow, and for a moment, I didn't feel anything. Then the pain came, and drew in breath with a hiss.

"For that, I'm going to kill you slowly." He said softly by my ear.

And then the moon shone through the clouds.

The wolf-man reared back, his face tilted upwards as he did something that I have only ever seen in movies. He howled. As he did so, his features changed. His deformed, hair covered nose became a muzzle; his eyes becoming less round, more yellow; his body shrinking, yet becoming more powerful.

In a surge of energy, I kicked its chest with everything I had, sending him flying backwards and landing painfully once, twice, three times before lying in a heap. There was no doubt about it, since the Change, I had gotten stronger and stronger.

But there was no way to finish him off! "Come on Bella, think! You've fought a werewolf before! What weapon works best?" I muttered to myself; then suddenly, it all came back to me.

"_Here," Cathy said to me just after I was initiated. "Take this." _

_In her hand was a silver knife, with my first name in fancy writing on the handle. A mini sheath she had in her other hand, engraved with jewels and my last name in the same font as the blade handle._

"_A silver knife?" I asked in confusion. "What's this for?"_

"_Trust me," she smiled. "It's always a good idea to have one of these close to you at night – especially at a full moon..." she grinned wickedly. Trust Cathy to be into folklore and mythology!_

She had been right. She was always right, why had I ever doubted that? As the wolf got to its feet, growling and stalking towards me, I pulled the same silver knife from the small strap just above my Converse, hiding it with my forearm until it leapt.

Then I slammed it into him with all my force, pulling it out before the wolf could destroy it.

The 'were staggered back, clutching the gaping wound it in its chest, suddenly in its half and half form. Human eyes stared accusingly at me as he fell back, his penetrated heart weeping blood.

I ran.

It didn't occur to me until I properly looked around that I shouldn't have been _able _to run, that masses of dark creatures should've stood in my way, barring me, making me unable to move, barely able to breathe. Instead, I had been fighting just inside the woods where the trees overhung, and no-one could see me. I walked into the clearing properly to see that it had maybe 50 or so creatures left, and they were barely trying to keep themselves alive now that their two commanders were dead.

Regardless at the loss of their leader, the wolves took down most of the rest of the demons, along with the 'shifters. The vampires were all scattered around the clearing, some looking grieved, some serious, some just glad to be alive.

But by some of the looks, I knew that someone other than Sam had been killed.

I looked around wildly, not wanting to go over and find out who it was that was dead. I couldn't – I'd go insane. I spotted Caleb, Jasper, Alice, Rose and Esme stood together talking earnestly, and I breathed out. Every 'shifter was accounted for, every wolf bar Sam and Paul, my mom, stood with her sister...the ones that I _couldn't _spot were Edward, Emmett, Carlisle, and the Denali sisters.

_So where the fuck were _they?

As fast as I could, I ran over to Alice and the others, all of them sighing in relief as they saw me. "Bella where have you _been?" _Alice cried, flinging her arms around my neck. "The fight was over, but you were nowhere to be seen! I've never _seen_ everyone look so pale! No pun intended." She smiled self-consciously. "So where were you?" she demanded.

"Fighting an animal, by the looks of her top." Jasper frowned, pulling off his huge over shirt and putting it on me. "_In human form!" _he said in shock, putting the pieces together.

"Cathy came to the rescue once again." I sighed, showing the silver knife drenched in werewolf blood. "And it was a wolf – the werewolf that we saw being Changed that night, Caleb." He nodded seriously, taking the knife from me.

"You'd better go and see Carlisle, those cuts look deep. He's over there in the woods, tending to everyone else." He said before I could ask.

I gave everyone a quick hug before I ran, using the very last of my energy to get to Edward and the others, who I could spot kneeling on the ground a few metres away.

"Is there anyone else missing?" Carmen said in a dull voice, staring at something on the floor in front of her. Poor Carmen, I hadn't had a chance to speak with her after she'd lost her husband.

"We're just waiting on Bella." Carlisle said quietly, glancing at his son quickly. He, too, was staring at something in front of him, but not with sorrow, something more like guilt. I thought back to the cry of _no _that I'd heard just before I was thrown from the fight.

"No, I'm right here." I said softly, not even breaking Edward out of his trance. Carlisle nodded at me, his face full of relief, and even Carmen gave me a sad smile.

Without another word, I sat down by Edward, crossing my legs and leaning my head against his shoulder. He wrapped his strong arm around my waist and squeezed gently, probably sensing how achy I was.

"What happened?" I whispered to no-one in particular. There was a hole in the ground in front of me, in the eerie shape of a grave. I daren't look in case it was Emmett, as I had yet to see him. Who was lost?

"That demon magic is much more powerful than we first thought." Edward murmured to me. "Apparently, it can kill vampires straight on, without any tearing or fire."

"Please Edward, _please _don't tell me that it's...that it's-"

"No, no, no!" he said quickly, coming back to life and holding me properly as I tried to control myself. "Baby, it isn't Emmett! I promise you! It's...Tanya."

"Tanya?" I closed my eyes. Even though we'd gotten off to a bad start, we'd forgiven each other, and had wanted to protect each other at the end. I remember hearing her hiss loudly when Simeon threatened to take me.

"I couldn't get to her in time! She was just to the left of me, and she wasn't watching her back...honestly I tried! But I wasn't quick enough." He slammed a fist into the Earth.

"Stop that! You couldn't have done anything without being killed yourself, understood?" he nodded. "Good. Now where are the other sisters and Emmett? I haven't seen any of them!"

"Kate and Irina took off into the forest when they heard about Tanya, and Emmett went after them. He'll either get them to return, or follow for as long as he can before heading home."

"Sam's dead." I said softly. "Sam and Tanya. I don't think there was anyone else. But what happened to you? I didn't see you at all!" I looked up and saw that Carlisle and Carmen were gone, leaving Edward and I sat by Tanya's now covered grave.

"When you, Caleb and I ran into the fight, I lost both of you right away. I didn't want to look for you in case one, or both of us, lost concentration. Anyway, I just kept attacking them and trying to protect my back, when I saw Tanya fall to the floor." I froze._ I caught a flash of long blonde hair somewhere to the right of me. Casey? Rosalie? Naomi? I couldn't tell – in a second it was gone, and all I could see was an endless pool of black, trying to drown me._It hadn't been one of them at all, it had been Tanya! She had been so _close. _I could've saved her as well...

"I found Esme and helped her for a little while, but soon we were separated, and I fought alone again. I knew we were winning, but then I heard the wolf, and saw the moon rising. Werewolves, _true _werewolves that can be killed with silver are the most deadly to vampires, and I started worrying for the others. But the fight was over, just like that!" he snapped his fingers and frowned. "I couldn't figure out where you'd gone, my energy was practically nothing..." he looked down and saw my ruined top for the first time, his eyebrows furrowing in question. "But I see that you had quite a fight as well."

I told him everything, from being hit with magic to killing a wolf, and he didn't look one bit surprised.

"You really are a trouble magnet, aren't you?" he grinned, kissing my cheek affectionately. "I'm just thankful that you're strong enough to fight all the trouble you attract!"

"You're only just figuring this out?" he laughed once, then looked back to the clearing, hearing something in his mind, because he answered 'yes'.

"Are we going back?" I asked as we stood. I gripped onto Edward's shoulder a little, my back killing from two throws in one day, and sheer exhaustion. It's not easy having to concentrate on absolutely everything around you whilst killing so you aren't killed!

The run home seemed to take forever.

Edward went to speak to a newly appeared Emmett about the sisters, whilst I caught up to Jasper, Alice and Caleb, who were still talking as they ran slower than we had to get to the fight.

"We should really have found out about the iron earlier, it might've made the fight a lot easier. I can't believe I didn't _see _something like that!" Alice hissed, striking her thigh with her fist.

"Darlin', don't blame yourself. The fight's over, we're alive, the people we care about are alive...just think of that." Jasper smiled, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"How are you holding up?" I asked Caleb. "I never saw you again after Edward killed Simeon; you aren't hurt or anything, are you?" Back in the day, it had always been me who had to ask Caleb if he was injured, because he was too damn stubborn and proud to admit that he'd slipped up and got hurt. The same applied now.

"I got thrown once, and _almost _got possessed by one of those things grabbing my neck, but apart from that, not a scratch." He grinned. "Anyway babe, as if I'd let them kill me! I'm too _pretty _to die." He winked.

"Once an ass, _always _an ass, even if you are technically dead." I rolled my eyes as he pretended to look hurt.

"Dead? Me? Pfft! When I'm dead, sweetheart, I plan on coming back as a ghost and scaring the shit out of you! Then I'll just follow you around all day everyday pissing you off." He smiled angelically at me, and despite everything that had happened, I couldn't help but laugh.

I was laughing so much that I ran into Jasper, who had frozen in the middle of the forest, his eyes wide. "Jasper?" Alice tugged at his arm. She looked at me wildly, and I put my hand on his arm as well.

"Jasper what's-?" I began, but then I sensed it as well.

"Come on, you two, what's going on?" Emmett asked wearily, looking between the pair of us.

The house couldn't be more than 5 minutes away, and without knowing how I knew, I sensed distress and panic there. "Charlie." I choked.

Without waiting for anyone to follow us, Jasper and I sprinted off towards the house as fast as we could go, ignoring the dull pain in my legs from exertion, and the throbbing in my arms as I tried to go faster and faster. Suddenly we broke through the trees, and were caught immediately by the black hole in the back of the Cullen's house, where the metal covers for the glass windows should've been.

"Oh hell." Jasper muttered as we ran into the house, leaping over the scorched metal and searching blindly, wildly for the cause of panic.

And then we heard it – the bloodcurdling scream of pain from a little girl upstairs. "Savannah!" I yelled, Jasper close on my tail as we ran like lightening up the stairs, mentally locating which room the screams were coming from.

Rosalie and Emmett's.

The door was locked firmly, with several things blocking us getting in, and there was no time to start breaking the wall down on the other side. "Scarlett!" I pounded on the door with my fist. "Open the door, it's Bella! Jasper no! Don't barge in because she'll attack you, and she may be little, but she's still a newborn." He nodded stiffly, waiting impatiently for the girl to answer.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" she cried as she flung the door open and I barged inside.

On the floor was a stirring Charlie, with some form of minor head wound, beside him, rags that looked like they belonged to some form of demon, and finally, most terribly, was Savannah, screaming on the floor with a bite mark at her neck.

"Scarlett, what have you done?" Jasper asked sternly. "Quickly! If it was only a minor injury, we need to get the venom out!"

"He attacked her!" she wailed. "The man in black, he pushed me out of the window and went for her! When I got back up, Uncle Charlie was on the floor, _and the bad man was sucking her blood! _He wasn't a vampire, I knew he wasn't! Why would he _do _that?" she sobbed, letting Jasper pick her up as he went to check on Charlie.

"Draining her life energy to get stronger, I guess." I said numbly, falling onto my knees by the screaming girl.

"Bella, you have to make a choice." He said, dragging Charlie's arm over his shoulder. "If you let the venom spread, she'll be another child vampire, but if you don't, and have someone suck the venom out, she'll die as a human."

Desperately, I looked from the blazing golden eyes of Jasper, into the tear-filled green ones of Savannah. "I made a promise to keep you safe." I whispered, tears filling my eyes as she whimpered. No child should have to go through this. "And I failed! But I guess there's only one way to keep my promise." I whispered, pulling her onto my lap and crying into her hair. "I'm sorry, baby, but this is the only way to keep my promise..." I said as quick footsteps were heard on the stairs, and several people came bursting into the room.

I didn't recognize any of the horrified voices that I heard dimly. I just held Savannah in my lap, knowing what Cathy would've wanted most. People hurried in, and I cried all the while.

* * *

"Oh my God." I breathed, staring down at the unfamiliar sight in front of me. "Edward, how long until...?" I didn't finish, begging for an answer with my red-rimmed eyes.

He squeezed the arm that hadn't strayed from around my waist, or my shoulders, or my hand, for the past few days. "It'll gradually get better within a few weeks, at least mine did. But it's the control I'm worried about."

Carlisle patted my hand. "Don't worry, all of us will help you get through this – you're both family, you always have been." His eyes twinkled as he continued to watch.

"What do you sense?" I asked Jasper, who was stood with his arms folded, a brooding look on his face which softened slightly as I spoke.

"Fear...hunger...awe. The way it was for all of us." He smiled slightly and leant further over the bed. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Can I have something to drink?" Savannah asked in a voice like smooth water.

She sat up, much more gracefully than the bounding she used to do – I'll miss that. Her creamy skin had become even paler, standing out against hair that truly was flame. But her eyes were what got me the most; I had been used to the beautiful green-eyed godchild that I had known only three days ago, not the crimson-eyed starlet she was now.

I reached over and took her hand. "We'll take you for something to drink in a minute, Savannah. We'll explain everything that's happened to you, and what's going to happen now."

"You have a very big family, child. We'll take care of you." Carlisle smiled, taking her other hand.

Savannah beamed at the boys, finally saying to me. "I love you, Aunt Bella."

"I love you, too." I smiled, hiding my tears in Edward's shoulder so that she couldn't see.

_We won the battle, we won the war...and still they managed to get one over on us. Let's just hope that things get better, shall we?_

* * *

***Read the A/N at the top of the page***


	27. The End Of An Era Part 2

**Hey most awesome of people! I'm not going to explain why I haven't updated in such a long time, but I can assure you I have a very good reason! I had a plan about how things were going to go, but reading through it now, I've decided I want to change it completely! So it may take a little longer to update each week (:**

**PS. If you read Spotlight as well, I'll be updating that this week, promise!**

**Soundtrack: Back To Black – Amy Winehouse**

I slammed the folder back on the desk with a sigh, turning back to the recently fixed window. I was in Cathy's office after clearing out my own – it was time to end a family oath once and for all. I had too much energy to sit down, but not enough to face everyone else in the building; I'd let Caleb have the lovely job of explaining to around 400 staff that they were being sent elsewhere to work, and that everything needs to be disposed of before the construction men arrive to assess the building this evening. All I can say is that it's a good job he's well protected now!

It had taken all night, but eventually, Caleb, Emily, Mom, Ross and I (after plenty of arguments, a flew slaps round Cal's head and a lot of swearing on my part) had decided that shutting down the company, severing our ties with the government, and quitting the spy business was what needed to be done. Anyway, how can we carry on after everything that's happened? Savannah's never going to get any older neither is Caleb, and neither am I.

But still, it's sad to be clearing everything out as though the last 2 years of mine, and _200 _years of my family's life meant nothing. I kept all the newspaper clippings from my office, and some things I collected or was given from my work. Everything to do with past criminals and information we collected is being burnt – we're not going to be skivvies for the government any longer; now they're on their own. That part I don't feel bad about; it's the feeling that I'm leaving myself behind yet again to become a new person. How am I supposed to do that again? How often can one person change themselves before it becomes too much?

I turned back to the window.

Not a week ago, Cathy fell from here to her death. I don't even want to think about what happened, let alone what Simeon told me about her death. No matter what, my mind just can't process that she's really gone, and that she won't come clacking in the room any second and start ordering me about; or Savannah won't come barging in and disrupting a meeting; or that she's not about to send me out to risk my life for a criminal.

It's all over.

"Hey, I got all the stuff you wanted from the safes and from storage. Are you just about finished in here?" the door clicked softly as Caleb placed a large wooden box on Cathy's desk, sighing as he pulled random things out. "It's hard to believe it's over, isn't it?"

"It's been over for a while, Caleb." I sighed, walking away from the window. "I've just been looking through Cathy's things. Apparently, she severed our ties with the government around a month ago, and she only kept this place open to deal with the demon problem." Caleb scoffed in disbelief as I picked up an unfamiliar frame with 4 photographs in it.

The first was the day I had been brought here after my mom's accident; I hadn't even noticed it was taken. I looked so different. My hair seemed a little lighter, my eyes with more sparkle, even after witnessing my mother's 'death'. I'm sat on a leather chair in the interview room, watching Caleb as he showed me an array of weapons. The innocence on my face seems foreign.

"Do you remember that day?" he asked softly, looking at the same photo over my shoulder. I nodded. "You whooped my ass and made me look bad in front of the boss, but I still thought you were one awesome kid." He chuckled.

"Everyone has to change – even awesome kids." I sighed, holding back tears. It just wasn't fair how much I'd had to change.

The next photo was another I hadn't realized had been taken – looking at a glance, I didn't _actually _recognize any of them. This one was at New York harbour, on my very first assignment. It was pretty simple, only a jewel thief we'd hunted down. He'd escaped and jumped into the water, and being the idiot I am, I'd jumped in after him. The photo showed Johnny and another guy taking the jewel thief away and me, looking like a drowned rat, leaning against the railings with the bag in my hand.

"I hated myself as soon as my feet left the railings – that water was freezing!" I shuddered.

"You passed the test though, so I guess it was worth it. After that day you were officially a spy and one of us – besides, wasn't that the same day of our first kiss?" he said in _that _tone, the one that made me slap his chest lightly and move away.

"Don't smooth talk me, boy." I warned half-heartedly. He just laughed at me.

The next photo was of Caleb and I in Seattle – this one I remembered too well, because it had given me the fright of a lifetime. We were just getting out of the car when Emmett had rounded the corner and glanced at me. The picture showed the shock on my face as I looked past the car, whilst Caleb looked the opposite way down the street to see which way would be best for us to go.

"You never did tell me what it was that freaked you out that night, you know." Caleb said casually, pointing at my look of surprise. "I assumed you were just playing hard to get, but you know."

"Oh how funny!" I said sarcastically, bumping his shoulder. "I saw Emmett that night, and it freaked me out because he was looking at me like he knew who I was. Turns out, he knew it was me all along."

"Huh." Was all he said.

The last photo made me gasp.

It wasn't the fact that it was a shocking picture, but the differences between it and the first photo, where I'd looked so young and innocent. It had to have been taken only a couple of weeks ago, when the demon problem had really peaked. I was stood at the top of the cliff in La Push on watch. My arms were folded, my eyebrows furrowed, and I was staring out at the sea in a mixture of frustration and worry. I must've lost a good 20 pounds from the first photo, and I wasn't exactly big in that. I felt sick.

"Oh my God, is that...is that really what I look like?" I choked, staring at the wispy girl in shock. He didn't answer, so I took it as a yes. "Well great!"

"You look fine. Honestly!" He added hastily when I glared at him. "I guess this is your memory frame." He said without explanation, putting it in the box with the stuff I'd grabbed from my office. "You'll want to keep it. Speaking of, you can help me find mine amongst all the junk at home later." He grinned. "Are we still keeping that place? I'm rather attached to it, even if I can't own it now I'm technically dead." He scowled.

"Yes, yes. But Caleb, what's a memory frame?" I asked in confusion, following him as he picked up both our boxes and walked out the door towards the elevator. "Why did they take these random pictures of me?"

He sighed as the elevator doors opened and Cherise walked out, her arms laden with empty files. He stepped in and pressed the button for the basement. "It's just photos from certain missions that are taken of you and given in a memory frame. It's just another honour thing, really." He shrugged.

"Oh yeah, what's yours got in it then?" I tried not to show how disappointed I was that even now, I still wasn't in on everything that had happened here at the company. Cathy never mentioned this to me before.

"The same as yours really; the day they scouted me, my first mission, a mission with you, and one photo of just me hiding in the shadows." His voice surprised me, and I really looked at him for the first time since I arrived.

His clothes were never properly ironed or cleaned well, because that's just the slob he was. But today they looked as though they'd never seen a washer in their lives, and were crumpled as though he'd been laying down in them. His hair was dishevelled as usual, but today it looked as though he'd been raking his hands through them. But what was worse was the bruise like shadows under his eyes.

He needed blood.

He must've seen the concern on my face, for he turned away as we walked into the basement where weapons were being packed up to be shipped off.

"Thought you might want to grab some supplies before it's all sent back. Go on, take your pick." He flung his arms out, gesturing to the array of weapons laid out on the side, still being deactivated.

"Cal..." I said under my breath, looking at my best friend in confusion. "What's the matter with you? Is everything okay?"

Slowly he lowered his arms, balling his hands into fists and glaring at the floor. "I don't want to talk about it." He turned his back to walk away.

I ran after him, touching him lightly on his shoulder. "Caleb-?" I said softly, not understanding his sudden mood swing or the reason behind it. He threw my hand off like it burned him and ran, becoming a blur as he went off to god knows where. "Fuck!" I whispered under my breath, stomping off to get my boxes.

What the hell was wrong with him? He hadn't been around the house in the past week since the demon problem was sorted, but the other Denali's still where. No-one knew where he'd been or what he'd been doing and I'll be honest, no-one but me gave him much thought. The only time I'd seen him after Savannah had been changed was when he came over to talk with me, my mom and his parents. Even then he'd rushed off afterwards.

What was wrong with him?

"Ma'am?" Cherises' voice made me jump as I made my way out of the basement, heading for the lobby where no doubt everyone was waiting. "Sorry." She blushed as we entered the elevator. "Johnny sent me to tell you that everything bar the basement is cleared out, and everyone's waiting for you in the lobby."

"Thank you, Cherise." I smiled wearily as the doors opened and I was overwhelmed by applause from everyone, including Cherise herself. "What the hell is going on?" I whispered to her as Lucilla took the boxes from me, set them down, and then led me to a podium I hadn't realized had been set up.

"We may never see each other again – it's just a goodbye." She smiled as I stepped up onto the podium, meeting every face I'd ever worked with, gotten hurt with, protected, or owed my life to.

I cleared my throat, hoping to God I wasn't blushing. I didn't do speeches. "I guess you all have your own theories about why we're shutting the place down." My voice sounded sad, even to me. "But to be honest, there _isn't _a real reason. We all figured that now was the time to just...end things. But I want you to know, each and every one of you, that I have been immensely grateful for all the tasks you've done, every mission that's been completed, but most of all, for your loyalty and secrecy. From the CEO to the janitor, everyone here has contributed a vast amount to keeping this place going for as long as it has."

"What will happen to it? Surely you can't be selling it off? What if something was left behind?" One of the hackers asked. Several people nodded their heads in agreement.

"No – it's being demolished. The land is being sold off to the highest bidder, and the 100 of you that remained here today to destroy everything will get a fraction of that money." I smiled at the cheer that invoked.

"So this is really it, huh?" Johnny said reproachfully, his hands buried in his pockets and his head slumped. Damn, I knew he loved his job. "The FBI hired me, but to be honest, I'd rather be unemployed than work for the feds – they're nothing compared to what I did on a daily basis here!" there were quite a few agreements in the crowd. The police, CIA and FBI had hired a number of them.

"All I can say to you Johnny, and the rest of you, is good luck with everything you set out to do, and don't listen to a word the FBI say about the law." I grinned. "Though I would advise you not to take your Glock everywhere you go."

"You know what ma'am...I really am gonna miss you." He smiled. "You've honestly been amazing to work for, and I'll always owe you my life. Seriously, if you ever need a hitman in the future, you come to me!"

"Uhhh, thanks, Johnny." I laughed, shaking my head.

"He's right." Lucilla smiled sadly. "You've been amazing to work for, Bella, and I'm really sorry to see this place go. And since you joined the Zeiracorp team, I can honestly say it's been a better place. Come on everyone, let's give the girl some love!" the 100 staff that remained loyal to me clapped as I stepped down from the podium and made my way around, shaking hands and seeing off everyone.

When the last person had gone, Cherise, Johnny and Lucilla all came up to me holding the boxes I'd brought from upstairs. "Shit, is Cathy's office-"

"I sorted it." Cherise said quickly. "Don't worry, everything's gone, and by tomorrow, this place will be, too." She looked over my shoulder, and I could hear the sounds of large lorries approaching the place. "Couldn't they even wait for us to _leave?" _she snapped.

"No, because that would be considerate to us." Lucilla sighed. "Come on, we'll take these to your car for you."

My 3 most loyal staff walked off in the direction of my car whilst, for the first time, I switched off the lights in the foyer, plunging it into complete darkness. And then it hit me. There would be no more going to work at stupid hours. No more adrenaline fuelled missions and long hours on the computer searching for information. No more talking in the rare times I got time to go down to the large dining hall. This is it – it's over.

The key turned in the lock of the glass doors, sealing away every secret that every staff member had kept whilst working at the most secret job in the world.

"Thought you'd gotten lost." Johnny said as I unlocked the car and let them put the boxes in the back. "Well," he said awkwardly. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess it is." For a long moment, there were no words, but then Johnny drew us all in for a huge hug, which set off the laughter.

"Promise you'll keep in touch!" Cherise sobbed as Johnny put an arm around her. "Both of you, promise you'll keep in touch!"

Lucilla and I both raised out eyebrows at the 'both' part, but nevertheless agreed we'd keep in touch. "Goodbye, Bella." Lucilla hugged me tightly. "And I swear, girl, you'd better call me soon, otherwise Imma do what I do best and hunt you down!"

One last hug and they were gone. The only remainder of my days at Zeiracorp were gone. I smiled tearfully, holding my head high as I climbed in the Jeep and looked back once more at the building, and I will admit that a stray tear made its way down my face.

And then I drove away without one look back.

I pulled up outside Charlie's place not too long later, and sighed as I heard him announce my arrival to my mom from the kitchen. My powers still freaked me out at times.

"Hey, Bell!" Charlie called as I shut the door behind me. Instantly, the smell of chicken hit me, and my stomach growled. The picture instantly flashed in my mind. "I'm making dinner; you're going to eat, right?"

"Yeah, I'm starving!" I chuckled, traipsing upstairs to dump the box in my room. I pushed the old wooden door open and stepped in, starting as I saw my mom sat on the bed waiting for me.

"Hey, honey." She smiled sweetly, sighing at the box. "You got everything sorted then?"

"Yeah." I said, putting the box by the other one I'd taken from her room in New York, making a mental note to sort them both out soon. "It wasn't easy, but all the weapons have been disabled and sent back to where they came from, all files destroyed, all ties severed...it was for the best." She nodded, but didn't say anything.

There was an awkward silence which I hated. I couldn't help but notice the differences between our relationship now. Whereas before, just hanging out with her hand been enough for me, now, it was too awkward to just sit in silence with her. I fucking hated it, but I had to face the fact that my mom and I were different people now.

It hurt like a bitch.

"I'd better go and see if your dad needs a hand." She said quietly, padding out of the room and down the stairs without looking my way.

I flung myself back on my bed in defeat, closing my eyes as I thought of how much I had gained, but how much I had lost. I gained my dad, but lost my mom. Gained a child to look after, but lost my best friend. I've given up complaining about how unfair my life is.

I growled in frustration as I looked at the clock. I had 3 hours left yet until I could head over to Edward's. My mom had given him and Rosalie strict orders that Emmett and I were to stay in and sit round the table as a family. That means no phone calls, no unexpected arrivals. Great.

"Hey, kid," Emmett poked his head round the door, looking as frustrated as I felt. "Dad says dinner's ready, come on down."

Wearily, I heaved myself off the bed and followed him downstairs, my footsteps heavy as I headed into the tiny dining room. The table was filled with food, whilst my mom poured wine into three glasses. "I figured you were old enough." She laughed, setting the glass by me as I sat down.

"Hey there, Bells!" Dad said, dropping a kiss on my head as he sat down at the head of the table. "Everything go okay today?"

"Yeah it was fine. It was kinda sad to end everything, but I guess it was for the best. How about you? Did you get a good cover for what happened with the demons?" Angela and Jessica had come back into town the day before, giggling and thinking themselves stupid for overreacting to what was probably nothing. So did everyone else, in fact.

"Yeah, we told everyone that there was a wolf problem, but we got it sorted. _Technically, _we aren't lying to them, so I can't feel bad." He chuckled.

For a little while there was nothing but the sound of my brother and father talking about a football game, and knives and forks scraping on plates. I listened to the guys talk, all the while hoping the clock would magically fast forward to 9PM, when I could escape to be with people it wasn't awkward to be around.

"Emmett, can you help me clear the table?" mom asked. When they left, dad turned to me, looking at me strangely.

"Alice called earlier. She wants to know if you and her should start wedding plans." I balked for a second. Oh that's right, I'm engaged.

I looked down at the dark, sparkling ring on the third finger of my left hand. It had been there so long I had forgotten its existence, and most of all, what it meant.

"I guess we'd better get started." I smiled. "Are you okay?" I asked in concern. He was looking down at the table in defeat, staring at the paisley pattern as though it might start talking back to him.

He shrugged. "Guess it's just hard to think about letting you go when I've only just gotten you back." He smiled sadly.

"Dad!" I half cried, half laughed. "You aren't going to lose me! Just because I'm marrying Edward doesn't mean things between us are going to change!" a plate smashed in the doorway, and instinctively, I leapt up and put myself between the noise and my dad.

Mom was stood staring at me in anger mixed with shock. Her eyes were narrowed, her mouth slightly open, and her hands on her hips. I instantly knew that bad shit was about to go down.

"_Marriage?" _she shrieked. "I don't _think _so young lady! You are _not _getting married at your age! What are you _thinking? _You're only 17, Bella!"

Emmett pulled her back before she could step towards me. "Come on, mom, don't you think you're overreacting? You knew Bella and Edward were serious. So come on, let's all calm down so we can talk about this properly, okay?" his grip on her arm didn't loosen, and she didn't stand down or stop glaring.

"Renee, please-" Charlie began, coming to my defence.

"No! Isabella Marie Swan, you are _not _getting married, do you hear me?"

I looked at her stonily, raising my eyebrows at the way she was looking at me like a misbehaving child that was embarrassing her in public. Emmett and Charlie were on my side, but that didn't stop her in any way.

"The whole street can hear you, Renee." I said simply, turning on my heel and heading out into the hallway, grabbing my Lamborghini car keys from the bowl on the table. Renee wasn't far behind me.

"Go on then, storm out of here! But I'm warning you now Isabella, you have _not _got my permission to get married!" I turned round to look at her. Yeah, she was deadly serious.

"It's funny, the last time I checked, dead people didn't _have _any authority!" I snapped, slamming the front door behind me.

The door opened again as I got my car, and I was all set for another arguament when I saw it was Emmett. "I'm coming with you." Was all he said, climbing into the passenger's side.

"Well, I didn't think she'd react like _that!" _he said as I drove along the long road leading towards the Cullen's drive. It was already pitch-black, and the roads were slippery with ice. I thanked Cathy silently for the special tyres that had been fitted on my car.

"I hadn't realised she didn't know I was engaged. Maybe she thought I put the ring on my wedding finger without realizing it." I said sarcastically. "That was seriously over the top. I mean, what right does she have to say that to me anyway? She hasn't exactly been mom of the century for that past few years, has she?"

"I suppose that wasn't her fault." He said softly.

"It isn't mine either, Em." I sighed. "I'm getting married, and that's that. It's my decision whether or not I go through with it, and not hers."

There was silence until I pulled up at the Cullen house, and Rosalie came out to meet us with Scarlett. Long golden hair whipped around them both as I let Emmett out so I could park up, smiling at the small family he had acquired. Em would be a great dad, proven by the way he swung Scarlett up and held her close.

Alice was waiting for me when I pulled into the garage.

As usual, she was bouncing where she stood. "Did your dad give you my message?" I nodded. "Weeeeeell?"

"Yes, we can get started as soon as possible." I smiled.

"Yes!" She squealed. "My sister, together we'll create the best wedding in history!" I had to laugh at her enthusiasm. "But first, we're having a small memorial service for Tanya." She said soberly, looping her arm through mine as we headed into the main house. My stomach dropped as I thought of Tanya, and how close I had been to her. I could've saved her life... "Where's Edward?" I asked, trying to disguise my dry throat.

"He's already there with the sisters. They wanted to go and say a few words before everyone else went down there. Your family are going, you know." She said as we headed out of the back door. I noticed we were the last ones to go.

"Everyone's gone now though, right?" I asked, pulling her to a stop in the back yard.

"Yes, why? Oh..." she said as her eyes glazed over. "The arguament with your mom?"

"No, I don't care about that." I gulped. "Alice...it's about the fight, and Tanya." I said, looking down at the floor.

She took my hand. "Tell me." She said softly.

"I could've saved her! I saw her quite near me, but I didn't know it was her. The next second, I heard what I now know was Edward shout no. Alice, if I'd have acted a little faster, maybe she'd be alive right now!" I blinked back guilty tears as the anger at myself washed over me.

To my surprise, she just pulled me into a hug. "Don't blame yourself, Bella. I was almost useless in that fight. I kept getting visions of what was going on with everyone else, so I could barely concentrate on fighting! Jasper had to do most of the work for me – I'm so ashamed." She pulled back, smiling at me sadly. "But I know that I couldn't have done anything else, because I don't control my visions. I saw what you went through, Bella. And I know you did everything you could. Please, don't blame yourself for something you couldn't prevent."

"What if I could've prevented it, though?" I persisted. "Those poor sisters have lost enough, especially Carmen!"

"Bella, if you had tried to save Tanya, you would most likely have been killed for letting your guard down. Could you imagine how different things would be if you had died? Go on, picture it." She said sternly.

If I had died...Savannah wouldn't have anyone she really knew to look after her. My dad would lose his daughter; he was so frightened of losing me. Edward...he would beside himself, I know he would.

"See," Alice said gently, "You did everything you could without killing yourself, and Tanya's death was most definitely not your fault. Now come on, otherwise they're going to send a search party." She smiled as we ran into the forest, heading towards the small grave where Tanya had been buried.

Sam had had a Quileute funeral a couple of days earlier, with the vampires having their own memorial service in the forest later on. The 'shifters, my dad and I had all gone to La Push for the funeral, which had been beautiful. Jake was now the leader of his pack.

The burial was laden with flowers, all surrounding the one spot that everyone was crowded around. I spotted Carmen, Irina and Kate by the head of the grave on the floor, arms around each other. Everyone else spoke quietly, as though afraid to disturb the tranquillity of the place.

Caleb was nowhere to be seen.

Out of nowhere, Edward appeared on my left just as Alice left me to go to Jasper. He kissed me softly. "I didn't think you'd be here until later, not that I'm complaining." He smiled until he saw the look on my face. "Is something wrong?"

"An arguament with my mom." I sighed. "Basically, she said she would never give me permission to get married. So I outright told her I was getting married and she had no authority over what I chose. Believe me, she didn't like that _at all." _

"And you definitely want to get married?" he asked quietly, as the others busied themselves to look as though they weren't listening in. "I know you weren't...keen on the idea, and I'd understand-"

I place my fingers on his lips. "We've been through this. I'm going to marry you. I love you."

He smiled widely, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my hair affectionately. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know."

"Oh, I think I have a fair idea." I winked.

The memorial service lasted only an hour, where the sisters, Carlisle, Uncle Jon and Alice spoke. Flowers were placed over her unmarked grave and we all headed back to the house, leaving Tanya to sleep in the ground behind us. I will admit I shed tears at the love her sisters had for her, and how much she was actually missed. The guilt flared up in me again.

Edward slowed down to a stop, letting the others run off in front of us. "There's something else wrong, isn't there? Something you didn't want to say in front of the others." I folded my legs so I was sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the leaves in front of me as he followed my lead, sat on one knee with his arm on the other.

"You know when you told me that you could've saved Tanya, back in the woods after the fight?"

"Yeah, what about it?" whatever he had expected, it wasn't that.

"I could've saved her too." I said quietly. "I saw a flash of her just before she died. If I had followed her, then maybe I could've saved her."

There was a long silence before he sighed and gently took my hand. "Bella, we were in a life or death fight. Even if you had tried to go after her, it would've most likely meant you dying as well. And honestly, if I had to choose between you and Tanya...well there's no choice really, as awful as that sounds." I finally looked up at him, and saw nothing but understanding in his face.

"You aren't angry with me, then? Because honestly, you're the only person whose opinion of me I actually give a damn about."

He chuckled, getting to his feet and lifting me to mine. "I'm not angry – how could I be? And if I recall, you don't give I damn what I think, either!" he laughed, taking my hand as we walked briskly back to the house. "Hey...why didn't Caleb show up?" he asked awkwardly. "Did you guys fall out?"

I growled in frustration. Caleb had been on my mind ever since he'd walked out on me in the basement. What the hell was his problem? "Apparently so. But I'll be damned if I actually know what it's about."

"He'll come around." He sounded certain, but I wasn't so sure. Caleb was a bastard for holding grudges...but never against me.

I groaned as I saw Alice waiting impatiently for us when we got back. Edward laughed at my expression. "We could always head to Vegas, you know."

"Vegas? Boy, if we're eloping, you're going to take me to the Bahamas!"

"Anywhere! Anything to get out of wedding planning with Alice...oh wait, I could just leave you with her!" he laughed as we hid in the trees, reluctant to go up to the house.

"There will be no wedding if you do! Oh my God, she hasn't got wedding brochures has she?" I gulped, looking at the glossy magazines in her perfectly manicured hands.

"Chanel, Vogue, Modern Bride...good luck, my dear, you're going to need it." He put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Alice! Bella's ready to start planning now!" he called.

"You dickhead!" I snarled, plotting murder as he ran off laughing as Alice came for me.

"There you are! Now which do want to sort first? The theme colour, or bridal parties?" she asked perkily, thrusting magazines at me.

Edward Cullen, you are _so _going to die.

**Any comments? Your thoughts? I'd love to hear them!**

***IMPORTANT* a quick reminder that I need suggestions for outtakes you'd like to read from this story and My Vampire Romance. Post it in a review or mail me, or I simply won't write anything! Thanks! (:**

**- Charlie**


	28. Finishing!

Wow...I'm such a failure at life.  
Okay, okay, truth is, there has been so many bad things been happening over here that writing has really been the last thing on my mind. But I was going through my documents today, saw this and was like – hey, what the hell, why don't I start up again?  
So sometime this week there'll be an update!  
Sorry for leaving it for so long :/ I expect the torches and pitchforks at my door, but what the hell, I'm going to start up writing again. Probably not today, but maybe tomorrow or someday this week I'll have an update on this story – just gotta try and get back into it!  
So yeah, sorry once again if people did want to read this!


	29. Together

**Hiya! So, I know it's my total bad for not writing in here for the best part of a year, but there have been so many bad things that have gone on since September – this was only supposed to be on a break since I came back from holiday! But whatever, that doesn't matter now, because I'm back baby, and I'm gonna finish this shit!**

**BTW, this ISNT THE LAST CHAPTER! Thought I'd put that in bold, because I know I'm going to get a question at the end about whether this is the end or not. Nope, our Bella still has one problem to sort before she hangs up the Glock and switchblades for good. Bet you already know what it is...;)**

**The soundtrack for this is Stay With Me: You Me At Six – enjoy, and drop me a line or two at the end (:**

What's the appeal of makeup? It's bitty on the fingers, causes spots, and it's just plain unnecessary. Alice, the queen of cosmetics and my own personal (unwanted) stylist, had really gone to town on this month's chance to play with Bella Barbie. My tanned face was smooth with cream, my tired eyes were outlined with pale brown eye shadow, mascara and eyeliner, and my lips were slicked with bright red lipstick.

I turned to the side slightly to see my hair in the mirror.

It was the usual – long, dark and straight. There had been many arguments over it this morning: _"But Bella, this is the most important day of your life! You can't go out there looking beautiful but with hair that looks like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards!"_And that was just Rosalie: _"I will lock you in here until I can do your hair if I have to!"_ Alice had just been plain psycho. But in the end I had gotten my way, and my hair, plain as it was, had stayed simple. No fancy updos for me – that just meant I was more likely to get attacked from the back, where I was more vulnerable-

I shook my head to dispel the thoughts.

It had been a month since the fight; a month since I had been on my last mission, and _four _months since I had run the street looking for dodgy characters. Yet here I was, still plagued with the same paranoia and fears that I was going to be attacked; still terrified by the thought that at any moment, this would all disappear.

Edward told me I was crazy often, and I had to believe him.

I turned away from the mirror slowly, smiling at the gentle swish that the fabric of my dress made on the floor. Made of pure silk and chiffon, my white dress had caught my eye the very moment we had walked into the shop:

"_Hi!" Alice said perkily to the bored saleswoman behind the desk. "We're here to try on a few outfits under the name of Cullen."_

_The woman shifted through her papers, suddenly animated like a puppet on string. "Oh yes, here we are. Are you the bride, madam?" she smiled a little too sweetly._

_I rolled my eyes at Naomi and Casey, who were laughing under their breath. This had happened at every single shop we went into; Alice took charge, and everyone assumed she was the bride. Reactions ranged from mild shock to total horror when they realized that I, the short brunette with the multiple scars, tattoos and biker boots, was the bride_.

"_Oh, my apologies! We have a few already set out in the style you chose..." she carried on speaking, but I didn't hear her at all._

_Out of the corner of my eye I had spotted it, hanging at the very back of the long rack that must have held over 100 dresses. With a black and white bodice, the sleeveless dress trailed down A-line to a black and white hem that had black vines creeping up the side and a small train. It was beautiful._

_It was me._

"_This one." I said, interrupting the woman mid-flow. _

_I stepped over and touched the silky material. Out of the all the shops we'd been in, of all the chest-crushing bustiers, lace nightmares and pink meringue's I had been forced into, this was the only one I could picture myself walking up the aisle to meet Edward in. _

_I turned around to get the reactions of my sister-in-law, my soon to be sister-in-law, and my cousins. All of them nodded and smiled._

_Tammy walked over and slung her arm across my shoulders. "Babe, this is the one for you!"_

Even stood here now in front of the mirror waiting for Alice to get back, admiring the dress my from every angle, dressed like a princess...I didn't really feel like myself. I felt more like myself dressed in combats and leather pants than a dress, and my face is more likely to be covered in mud that makeup.

Edward knew this – he knew this wasn't me. But for him I had done this, because I knew marriage was the one thing he really wanted from me. He never asked for anything more, so this, I was very willing to give to him. But still, selfless Edward, my honey, had tried to make things even better for me:

"_Bella," he'd whispered when the movie had finished. Savannah was in bed, my mom and dad were out, and we were snuggled up on the sofa. He'd taken my hand and turned the ring from side to side. "I know a big wedding really isn't your thing. My offer still stands you know; we could always ditch this and run away to get married – anywhere you want." He'd kissed my ear gently, his warm breath tickling the lobe._

_I sighed and turned in his arms. "There you go with wanting to change the plans again – anyone would think you didn't want to get married," I teased and winked. _

_He grinned. "Believe me, marrying you is all I want. It's just this big wedding...if we skipped, it wouldn't matter; Jasper and Alice would just remarry, I know they've been thinking about it for a while. What do you say?"_

_I fell silent. It was tempting, no doubt. An exotic beach, a simple dress, my own terms, just me and Edward...but I couldn't do that. I always got my way, he always did what I preferred. Some would say that he's whipped – we both say that he loves me, and if you dare insult one of us to the others face, prepare for a major butt kicking._

_I smiled up at him. "Edward, baby, I know this is what you've always wanted – this is _your _big day as well as mine. I managed at Rosalie and Emmett's wedding, didn't I? I just want you to be as happy as I am!"_

"_Oh believe me," he smiled that perfect smile at me, making me melt a little. "I'm just as happy, if not more than happy,"_

I smiled to myself. It had been a rush, planning this huge event in just a month, but we'd managed it. We were just having it here at the house like Rose and Em, and Alice had handled pretty much everything from the caterer to the dresses. My cousins had organized a lot as well, and my uncles had helped make sure that everything was secure.

Me? I had been running around like a headless chicken for the past month.

But in the end, it would be worth it. I was going to claim Edward as my own for eternity – the fact that 'shifters don't grow old being a bonus – and I'd be going on a much needed vacation in a few hours. What more could I ask for?

Nothing, really.

"Oh my!" I turned to the gasp at the door, only to laugh at three of my four bridesmaids looking gobsmacked at the door. Alice just looked smug as hell.

I had wanted all my girls to be there walking down the aisle with me, but I had to be practical – that just wasn't going to work. So after a few nights deliberating and several torn out hairs later, I had decided that Alice, Rosalie, Naomi and Savannah would be there with me. Of course there would be someone else there walking me down the aisle, but it was not someone everyone would be expecting...

"You look so _beautiful!" _Savannah whispered in awe.

"Of course she does!" Alice said proudly, walking forward to kiss my cheek. "Bella has always been beautiful – she just needed my help to prove to the world just how beautiful she is." She winked.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," I chuckled. "You all look amazing, seriously."

The girls were all dressed in black, with a white sash that tied around the waist and trailed down the back; all the girls except Savannah wore matching heels, whilst hers were just flats. Because of my reluctance to have my hair special, they all had theirs up.

"Oh believe me, no one will be looking at us," Rosalie smiled. And coming from Rosalie, the girl who could look pretty standing next to Aphrodite herself, that was a major compliment.

"You're going to have a great time – I can't believe this was all done in a month!" Naomi said.

There was another gasp at the doorway. "Oh, _Bella," _my mom said softly.

I looked up sharply. "Mom? I thought...I thought you weren't coming." I said quietly.

The last time we had spoken, she had flat out refused to have any part in my wedding, and I'll you, it hurt like hell. To have the one person who you have looked up to all your life deliver a blow like that to you...it really sucks.

"As if I could miss today," she said, blinking back tears. She walked across the room, the animal in her showing in her graceful walk, and enveloped me in a hug. "I'm so sorry for everything I've said...I don't expect you to forgive me, but know that I've got your back, kid."

I pulled back and nodded. That was all I could do.

"We love you, Bella," Charlie said gruffly. He was like me, no good at showing his emotions at all. But I knew how much he loved me – Edward had told me, and I could see it in his eyes. He really didn't want to say goodbye. "And I'm very proud of everything you've done – and that's just whilst you've been living here! Not even in my wildest dreams didn't I imagine that you would turn out as brilliant as you have. And I know you're getting married now, but you'll always be my little girl." He smiled awkwardly, kissing the top of my head and pulling away.

"I'll still be here, dad. I'm not dying or anything," I smiled. He nodded. Big father, daughter moment of the year. That was Charlie.

"We'll be downstairs, Bella," Renee smiled, the tears finally spilling over her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for everything I've done, but I will find some way to repay you, I promise." And then she turned to leave before I could say anything else.

Charlie's arm went around her shoulders as they left, his lips touching her head gently. He would never let her go again, I knew that for a fact. But they deserved each other – they were so different, but so compatible; it made my heart ache to see them, to see the love they so clearly had for each other. They'll be happy for the rest of their lives, especially since my mom gave up her immortality, so I know they'll be happy for a long time.

I'd have to watch them die...I didn't want to think about it. Today was supposed to be happy!

"Bella, you ready?" Rosalie smiled from the doorway. The sound of the piano drifted up the stairs, and I froze in place, my heart sinking to where my boots should be right now.

"Chill, Bell, it's Edward down there!" Naomi laughed, touching her forehead to mine for a second. "Sister, if anything, you should be sprinting up that aisle! I know I would, Edward is delicious," she winked.

I burst out laughing, ushering Savannah to the door gently as I tried to control my giggles. Alice raised an eyebrow from where she was stood at the top of the stairs.

"Who gave her hysteria?"

I sobered, winking at my cousin as she headed down the stairs slowly, holding Savannahs hand.

Alice turned to me. "Remember, I'll go, then Rosalie, then you and...whoever's taking you down the aisle. Who is it, anyway?" she asked in confusion.

I smiled; it wasn't often Alice didn't know something. I had kept my thoughts in doubt about who would be walking me down the aisle so she couldn't try and talk me out of it. I tapped my nose at her just before she descended the stairs, sticking her tongue out at me as she did so.

"Good luck, not that you'll need it," Rosalie whispered, hugging me tightly before walking after Alice, her tempo slow.

I took a deep breath, feeling him walk out of the shadows before I heard him speak. "You look beautiful, babe," Caleb whispered, holding his arm out for me to take.

I looked over at him and smiled, looping my arm through his. Though Caleb and I would never be as close as we were, we would be close enough, close enough for him to walk me down the aisle, and I knew that should he get married, I would be there to stand by his side in any way possible.

"You ready?" he whispered as Rosalie stepped off the last step.

"Yeah," I whispered back, "Thanks for doing this, honey," I kissed him on the cheek gently, then we descended, going slow enough that I wouldn't trip on my dress and crash into the wedding.

Oh man, why did I agree to the dress?

But soon enough I stepped off the last stair, turning my dress slightly and gulped at the floor. I snuck a panicked look up at Caleb, who grinned assuringly and gestured for me to look up, so I did.

Just like at Rosalie's wedding, practically every eye was on me as I made my way down the aisle, only this time, they were nearly all on my face. I heard some comments about how unique and lovely my dress was, but not a single comment to my scars or my tattoos. It was simply...lovely. Not a single person had anything bad to say about me for those perfect moments, and it brought tears to my eyes. Here were my friends and family, all thinking good thought about me – me, the girl who 2 years didn't have anyone in the world, only a few dollars to her name, a stepfather who didn't want her, and a job that she didn't understand.

It's funny how a bleak and depressing situation can turn into such a wonderful one.

You might ask why the hell I would choose my ex-boyfriend to walk me down the aisle to meet the man I'm about to marry. Seems like a stupid idea, right? Not to me. Caleb needs closure, and in a way so do I – this is the best way to get it. But that's not the main reason. For every dark moment there's been in the last few years, Caleb has been there right by my side kicking ass and disregarding names with me. He pulled me out of grief and turned me into the success I am today – without him, who knows what I would be like now?

Certainly not walking down the aisle on my way to get married, that's for sure.

His grip on my arm loosened as we approached the front of the aisle and I touched Edwards arm for the first time in a week – the family had taken _that _particular tradition just a little too far. I mean, we didn't need any more bad luck!

"You look beautiful, babe. I know you'll ace this," he winked, kissing me on the cheek gently before he took my hand and placed it in Edwards. "And you," he said in a threatening voice, but with a grin on his face. "You take good care of my girl, you hear?"

Edward smiled and shook Caleb's hand firmly. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything else."

I climbed up onto the step without looking behind me, smiling at Edward, seeing that the usual gleam in his Amber eyes was even brighter today. I felt the grin that had become so familiar to me light up my own face before the priest started to talk and the ceremony began.

For the life of me, I couldn't have told you a word the priest said; nor any of the prayers; nor the short hymn that was sung. All I could do was try to keep myself thinking 'I really am getting married today'. It had never seemed possible to me, and yet, here I was. It was my wedding day, I was dressed like a character from a storybook, and I was...happy.

So incredibly happy.

"Repeat after me," the priest said quite loudly, breaking me out of my reverie. Maybe it hadn't been so unclear that I wasn't listening – oops! "I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you, Edward Anthony Cullen,"

I took Edwards hand in my own and looked up at him. His smile seemed permaglued onto his face; I had yet to see it fall. "I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you, Edward Anthony Cullen,"

"To be my lawfully wedded husband,"

"To be my lawfully wedded husband,"

"In sickness and in health,"

"In sickness and in health" not that it was likely either of were going to get sick, but you know. I said this with a smile on my face at the thought of Edward with a cold.

"For richer, for poorer,"

"For richer, for poorer,"

"To have and to hold, 'til death do us part,"

"To have and to hold, 'til death do us part," this I could say with a degree of security. I mean, what were the chances that Edward and I were going to die if we took care of ourselves? I wasn't getting any older, nor was he...

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." I slipped the band of silver onto the fourth finger of his left hand, watching it glisten in its place, ever showing to the rest of the world the commitment we have for each other.

Edward repeated the vows to me, never breaking eye contact between us until he placed the matching band of silver on my own finger. I thought at that moment I might have felt panic, like I was being branded, or even trapped into something there was no easy way out of. But surprisingly...I felt nothing but happiness as we finalized the wedding ceremony and Edward's face leant towards mine...

The second our lips met there was thunderous applause, echoing around the large living space of the Cullen family home, it surrounded us and made me feel, not for the first time, that I was surrounded by people that loved me and cared about me for me as a person instead of my title and power.

"Congratulations Mr and Mrs Cullen!" Ash called from the second row on the left as we turned to face our family and friends for the first time as a married couple.

I just laughed...I laughed, I smiled, and I think I even cried a little bit as everyone got out of their seats to give their congratulations. Edward's hand was surprisingly warm around my own, his thumb rubbing circles across the top as we greeted individual people.

Emmett came loping up, Rosalie leading the way. "Congratulations!" she said perkily, "Edward..." she said, distracting him. I knew why she did it, and I was very grateful.

I smiled gently at my brother. "You're never going to be happy with this, are you?"

To my surprise, he smiled. Guess it was just a day for surprises and smiles. "Actually, I'm cool with it – not that it matters. I think you guys complete each other; especially Edward with you. I can barely picture the way you were when you first came to town! You bunked off school and were a pain in my ass because you wouldn't tell me what you were hiding – but looking at you now...sis, I can hardly believe you're the same person you were." To finish off, he swept me up into one of his bone-crushing bear hugs, kissing the top of my head and winking as Rosalie hugged and kissed me.

When the guests drifted into the back garden with the ushering's of Alice and the promise of alcohol, I sighed and wrapped my arms around Edward's waist. "I've had enough of weddings – ravage me?" I asked angelically, leaning my head back to look at my husband. Okay, that sounded weird even in my head!

"Later – I can promise you _that_," he winked. "Right now we have to stay at this party. After all it is for us, and it would be rude to walk out on everyone. Plus the fact that Alice will literally murder me if we don't stay," he shuddered.

"Imagine what would have happened if we eloped?" I laughed.

"I don't think I want to," he cringed as we made our way to the French doors that were wide open.

I stepped out onto the patio to see the party my new sister-in-law had created for me. In front of the large window looking into the where the wedding ceremony had taken place was a table laden with food; it was no surprise to see Ash stood there. To the left of that was a bar area set up, with Ty, Jon and Charlie all with a beer in hand. In front of this were lots of tables covered in bright white and black cloths. Furthest away from the house, on top of the grass, was a dancing area and a DJ, playing a playlist I had had no say in. I wasn't going to complain though – I wasn't much of a dancer.

"What do you think?" Edward asked close to my ear. "Alice may have gone a little overboard." He rolled his eyes. "You know what she's like."

"It's perfect," I smiled. "Come on, let's just have a fucking good time and get wasted – deal?"

"I'll have fun watching that, trust me," he chuckled as I saw something very unusual.

"Look at that!" I gestured over to where Ash was stood. Carmen was stood by him, giggling like a schoolgirl at something he had said. And Ash...Ash actually looked bashful for once, like was nervous being around her! "Am I actually seeing that?"

"He thinks she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, but he doesn't want to make a move because of her loss," he said quietly. "And she's thinking that he has a kind of magnetic pull that she doesn't know how to resist," he sounded surprised. "Maybe we aren't the only ones to benefit from today," he grinned, twirling me round in a circle as a particularly upbeat song came on.

We walked around the garden, saying hello to everyone we came across. I received not a negative word, and Edward told me that not a single person had a bad thought about me – though I think that was just a lie to keep the peace. Whatever, I didn't care; I hadn't cared what people thought for a long time, and I was better at self-control now.

Well, not really, but I wouldn't kill anyone.

"Whoa," Edward said under his breath, laughing slightly.

"What?" I turned to see what he was laughing at. "Oh man you have _got _to be kidding me! Is Eros a secret guest at our wedding or something? He has to be!" I laughed.

Sat on the table was Tammy...engaged in some serious tonsil-tennis with Jared. And on a table nearby were Naomi and Quil having their own game...what the actual fuck?

"I think your cousins are destined to be as happy as we are," Edward grinned. "Though I doubt _any _of those guys will be as lucky as I am, Mrs Cullen," he winked. He looked at something over my shoulder and shook his head. "Add Joshua and Kate to the list – they just ran inside holding hands," he shook his head a little more, chuckling to himself. "Maybe there's something in the wine?"

I burst out laughing, wrapping my arms around his waist again and grinning up at him. "Or maybe our wedding is spreading love? It sounds corny as hell, but you know. Something tells me that the pack is going to be together for much longer; maybe that's a good thing."

"How so?"

"Well, they've been together for so long, and all they've really known for a long time is each other. Plus the fact that they've been travelling all across the country for years; I think it's time they at least had a chance to settle down and be with other people. I know Tammy loves the beach, but she never gets to go; Casey never gets to shop, and Joshua never gets to see anywhere like he wants to. They tell me a lot," I said at his expression. "They trusted me,"

"Well why wouldn't they? You've been a good cousin and pack mate to them,"

"Yeah, I guess..." I trailed off, watching the stars twinkle and the planets flash in the deep purple of the sky. My eyesight was so much better now, and I was certainly making the most of it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a statuesque woman walk into the garden, her long auburn hair tied up at the back of her head, wearing a short purple dress and small heels on her feet. She was perfectly lovely, but I didn't know who the hell she was.

Before I could ask, Alice skipped past with Jasper in tow.

"Hey you two, congratulations again!" she squealed, hugging us both. "And Bella," she said close to my ear. "That's Jonathon's ex-wife and Tammy and Joshua's mother – I invited her as a final thank you to the 'shifters for everything they've done for us. Trust me, he won't be able to let her go once he sees her for the first time." She said at my puzzled expression.

As Alice had said, Uncle Jon turned towards the woman, seeming to know she was there before she was even close to him. His jaw dropped, his eyes glazed, and their gazes met. I noticed Uncle Ty drifting tacitly away, so I did the same.

"What about Ty?"

"Tomorrow morning he'll go for a drive to get away from the happy couples – he'll see a familiar face along the way," she winked, drifting off to speak to the DJ.

I turned to Edward in bemusement. "This day just gets stranger and stranger!"

"Well, as long as people are happy," he grinned, kissing my forehead. "Mrs Cullen, would you like to dance with me?" he asked as Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls came on. I grinned. How the hell had he known?

As we made our way to the dance floor for our first dance, I couldn't help but think that my life, for once, for a little while, was absolutely perfect.

* * *

I pushed aside the trees and ferns that had grown in masses since the last time I had come out here. To a human, this would be stupid, dangerous and risky, but because of my now-enhanced eyesight it was no longer a problem for me to be out anywhere dangerous in the dark. Well, in terms of what I could see, that is.

I was stood on the ledge over-looking the cavernous valley where I had stood after Emmett and Rosalie's wedding to think. I had enjoyed the party that was still in full swing, but I really did need to be by myself for a little while.

After my first dance with Edward I had danced with my dad, and even climbed on a table to dance to All Time Low with Naomi and Tammy. I had just enjoyed a party with my family and friends, just letting my hair down, being silly and having fun for the first time in a while. The last thing I had seen before I came here was everyone crowding round the dance floor watching Emmett and Ash break out some hilarious though seriously fucked up dance moves.

I sighed with a smile on my face as I folded my arms and looked out over the horizon. It was truly beautiful out here – like my very own safe haven. I could be at peace...though was peace really what I wanted? Whilst I craved it, I also craved action and adventure. No doubt marriage would be a huge test.

I think I can pass.

For Edward, I can pass.

I realized then that to truly have a happy future, I had to let go of the past. I had to forget everything my mom had done; I had to forget mine and Caleb's relationship; I had to forget Catherine and her death.

"Goodbye, Cathy," I whispered into the wind. "I love you, sister, but it's time for me to move on. I promise you that I will protect and care for your daughter until my last breath like you asked me to, but I have to let you go. I'll always love you like a sister, but I need to stop mourning you and get on with my life," I said softly.

Deep inside me, something broke loose, flying into the wind and making me feel pounds lighter. Wherever Cathy was now, I knew she would be at peace.

I'll see her one day – but not anytime soon. Right now I have a perfect life to live.

Not to mention a delectable new husband that just looked at me with eyes that could make even the toughest woman melt (oh wait...that would be me) not to mention a secret honeymoon tomorrow.

Oh honey, don't mind if I do!

**It either rocks, or it sucks, either way, that's the big day they deserved. Like I said at the start, this isn't the last chapter, there's still...4 more, I think. But that's when it ends for good! *sob* and before anyone asks, no there won't be a sequel. I mean, all I could do would be to kill everyone off and/or make Bella and Caleb get together. And...something tells me I'd be even more in the doghouse if I did that!**

****IN** I'm still going to do that out-takes story is people give me suggestions! Oh, and the next chapter won't take nearly a year to be posted, promise!**

**Charlie x**


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